


A New Rank of Ruler

by Thaliel (Alodia)



Category: Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Werewolf, Alternate Universe - Werewolves Are Known, Biting, F/M, Knotting, More Added as Fic Continues, Omega Verse, Rating for later chapters, Romantic Soulmates, Soul Bond, Soulmates, The Bite (TM), Werewolf Mates, Werewolves
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-15
Updated: 2018-12-13
Packaged: 2019-02-02 20:54:01
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 11
Words: 23,004
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12734121
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Alodia/pseuds/Thaliel
Summary: She was burning up less than before, breathing normally now, or as much as she could after such an episode. Her lungs worked overtime to make up for what she had lost, and when she gathered enough control to gauge the room, she found she was surrounded by people.She could feel a new tingling crawling across her shoulders, and somehow her mind felt warm and as if there was a thrum running through it at the back.“What…” Daenerys gulped and glanced around her, extremely uncomfortable with being so vulnerable before so many people.Missandei spoke first, “My Queen… We believe you have found your True Mate.”





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> A/N: I have no idea if someone has already written one of these yet, but here my newest contribution is! I got really into Alpha Beta Omega Dynamic fics again so I decided to combine it with my displeasure at the wait for the new season as a way to tide us all over. This is literally the worst but I am not sorry lmao. I apologize if anything in the fic is inaccurate, I do my best to research, but especially with an AU fic… Things happen. 
> 
> This is (maybe) the strangest fic I think I have done, but I hope at the very least it entertains you while we all hunker down to wait for the final season. 
> 
> As always, I hope you enjoy both the fic and my interpretation of A/B/O Dynamics! <3

Westeros was divided enough between the Alphas, Betas, and Omegas, and when the war for the Iron Throne began, everything became even more divided. Robert’s Rebellion seemed to throw into contrast everything that was wrong with the dynamics. How great houses used their rankings to manipulate and solidify their rules. His even in the smallest of villages, Omegas were highly sought after and revered, but also the target of many foul things. How Betas caught with Alphas bitterly to prove their worth. How some Alphas made it their life’s goal to torment those around them and take control at any cost. But most of all, how desperately Westeros needed a leader as the threat from the North approached.

All of it combined had the citizens of Westeros eyeing each other with suspicion. Omegas who were not born to noble homes hid away behind what doors they could, and Alphas and Betas openly argued in the streets. Anyone not arguing in the streets or hiding had picked a side and joined an army, dying for a cause.

The Lannisters, made up entirely of Alphas, fought bitterly against the Starks, a family of much more balanced dynamics (though still a higher concentration of Alphas than normal), and the Targaryens, who comprised entirely of Alphas and Omegas. All of them clawing at one another and shoving each other out of the way as they tried to take control of the Seven Kingdoms, using every advantage they had along the way. Others tried to throw their hat into the ring, but as it had been for hundreds of years, the Lannisters, the Starks, and the Targaryens always rose to the top, fighting on a level few others could achieve.

Few other families had the sheer concentration on Alphas needed to take firm hold of a large army and to make sure their orders were carried out as intended. Fewer still had the Targaryen advantage of Omegas they could marry into important families, the easiest and most surefire way of solidifying an alliance. Almost none of them had the gumption to do what was necessary to win and survive.

Everyone had a family they were rooting for, but deep down it was hard to pin who would come out on top. Alphas were strong, stubborn, and generally natural leaders. Alpha wolves made you want to follow them, they could compel you to listen to them, and Betas had a hard time resisting that impulse. It could be done, but it took an enormous effort of willpower. This worked in favor of the Lannisters, as house made entirely of proud Alphas. They were charismatic and they were well numbered, allowing them to have an even spread of control both over King’s Landing and Casterly Rock.

In addition to their charisma, their compelling nature, and natural leadership, Alphas were strong. Post puberty, Alphas gained one and a half times the strength of an average Beta, and only Omegas could rival them in combat. Omegas were fast, faster than any Alpha or Beta, and people naturally wanted to protect them. It was a base instinct. Omegas were rare, but they were prized for their sweet smell and their generally nurturing disposition. Having an Omega as a mate was seen as the ultimate symbol of power and strength. The ability to protect something so prized was not something every Beta, or even Alpha possessed.

Regardless of their strength or status, there were plenty of Betas and Alphas willing to help any Omega in any endeavor for the chance to be with them, hoping to be an outlier, or miracle beyond miracles, to be blessed with one as their True Mate. Some even craved the way an Omega smelled so much, they would hang around just for a whiff of sweet scent on the air. The Targaryens had used this to their advantage multiple times before, to leverage whatever Omega they had in the family, wielding them like a carrot before the horse. It was a cruel idea, but it had got them enough to hold the throne and to unify the Seven Kingdoms.

When they promised Lyanna, an Omega to Robert, he was happy as a clam, until Rhaegar, in all of his Alpha wisdom, decided he wanted her for himself. Her scent was too good to be resisted, he claimed, and some even whispered that they were True Mates, and Robert didn’t have any real claim over her.

True Mates were the ultimate dream of all of the wolves in Westeros, to find the one person destined for you, to feel a soul bond with them and to live life together in a perfect union. There was no relationship which was stronger, or more secure, or which people respected more than that of True Mates.

Usually, it took a moment after meeting for True Mates to realize what was happening. It started with their heads swimming and a gentle warmth, followed by full body shakes as the bond formed, a splitting headache, their souls bonding, and a gentle shared consciousness flowing between them. To finalize it, across their shoulders bloomed identical tattoos, winding under the skin and declaring them mates for the world to see. It was extremely rare for a pair to be True Mates, but it had long been supposed that while not every wolf had a True Mate, all Omegas did. It only added to their allure, with some people being convinced that if they could only find an Omega, they would be guaranteed a True Mate.

With all of this in mind, and with all of the struggle since, and no Omegas among the great houses to inspire loyalty or to marry off for an army, Westeros was in abject turmoil.

Until Daenerys Targaryen landed on the shores of Westeros, there was no clear leader in the war. Who was on top changed minute to minute, but Jon Snow, an Alpha bastard of Ned Stark, had put them on the defensive, which was the closest anyone had gotten in ages to defeating them. But the North lacked the numbers to truly defeat the Lannisters. Now with Daenerys taking her seat at Dragonstone, the newest Targaryen Omega sitting on a dragon glass throne, they had a fighting chance. Even the Lannisters would think twice before hurting an Omega, and they would have an even tougher time fighting against her dragons.

The Targaryens were well known for producing Alphas in the same way the Lannisters were, but they had the added advantage of having one of the highest percentages of Omegas in any family.

Across all of the known world, Omegas were known for making up only 2% of the population. There was maybe one Omega per family, if that. The Targaryens on the whole were made up of a much higher percentage of Omegas, with at least one being born once a generation. They could never tell for sure until they reached puberty, but there was something about Omegas where you could just tell from when they were a child.

Daenerys always found that people were always willing to help her, and she had an overwhelming need to help people in return. It was something she had felt and experienced for as long as she could remember, and after she officially knew she was an Omega, that only became even greater and more pronounced. Everyone loved her, except for Viserys.

One day she had been lounging with her brother, and he stuck his nose in the air and breathed deep, scowling, “Who let an Omega in here?” It was the first moment Daenerys’s ranking was confirmed, and things only went downhill for her from there.

He was not happy with the development. It was not like Dany could help the way she smelled, apparently like sweet apples and cinnamon, but somehow the knowledge that she was an Omega just sent him off. He hated Omegas to his core, always claiming that they used trickery and magic to fool weak Alphas and Betas into doing what they wanted. He began to call her Omega Bitch when he wasn’t actively trying to sell her to the highest bidder.

“Omegas are only useful as bargaining chips,” he used to sneer, forcing Dany to dress in sheer clothing and parading her around at his whims.

Her want to help her fellow wolf and sibling had lead her to allow her brother to take advantage of her for most of her life, but that was over and done with, and she should not let another Alpha shit head tell her what to do. Sure, most Alphas wanted to help Omegas, wanted to breathe in their scent and keep them safe, but she would be a fool to count on others being ruled by their baser natures, to want to be kind to her. She certainly had become less willing, less helpful as she aged, there was no reason other Alphas in the world wouldn’t experience the same kind of shift away from normal.

For all she knew, the whole lot of the Lannisters could have grown into wanting to lock up Omegas and take advantage of them. Or to capture her and sell her off as her brother did, or perhaps even worse. It was rare, but she had heard horror stories of other Omegas being kept in cages and admired like animals in a zoo. Spat on and called disgusting whores. Or locked away and used in the darkest corners of the dirtiest brotels. Kept in rich men’s basements to be used as they pleased.

It made Daenerys’s hair stand on end. She knew that the world was not peaches and roses. She could not afford to forget it. She had to move beyond the bounds of the normal Omega, to use her speed and sharp mind to her advantage, to prove herself better than any and every Alpha.

With thoughts of her brother and other cruelties fresh in her mind, meeting the Alpha Jon Snow was an experience which she was not necessarily looking forward to. Sure, she still worked with Alphas, she had to in her line of work, but she was still weary of new ones. Tyrion had let her know that he was not like other Alphas, that Jon listened to those around him, used his influence to help people and to protect them.

It sounded nice in theory, but she knew how the Lannisters used their power over others, she had experienced a lifetime of pain at her brother’s hands, and she knew Alphas. She did not have high hopes for this new Alpha in her life. Drogo was one of the few Alphas who she had ever liked, but was dead and gone. Dany held little hope that among the some other fifteen percent of the world’s Alphas that she would find another one like him. There were plenty of Betas who she liked well enough, Daario, for instance, was a nice enough Beta. Kind and attentive, obviously he wanted to please the Omega he was sleeping with, but he lacked the authority an Alpha had naturally. An air of something more which kept them in control. Nature’s way of assigning leaders, Dany supposed. When it came time for her to leave, she was saddened, but she needed a strong Alpha at her side. Someone who brought her and her cause power and advantage.

She didn’t believe in the True Mate ideal, but she did absolutely understand the advantage of a good match.

Besides, Dany liked leaders, she liked conversing with them and working with them, but only as equals. It was unusual that an Omega would have such a take charge attitude, but she was anything but a usual Omega. She was a Targaryen, the very last of them, and all Dragons were destined to lead. It was their duty and their honor, it was what they lived for. Dany was no different. Fuck nature, Dany would be a leader. She would be the first Omega to sit on the Iron Throne.

She was more than capable, more than able. There were no rules saying she could not lead. So lead she would, she could use everyone’s natural instinct to please her to her advantage, the same way Alpha’s used their natural control and power to help them lead. She would push for diplomacy, in contrast to the general Alpha route of force and armies.

When Tyrion insisted that Jon Snow was an outlier among Alphas, Daenerys had a hard time believing him. How was it possible for two great families to birth someone who was so contrary to the norm at the same time? Varys told her that it had happened before, but she was still wary. Traditions ran strong in Westeros, and bucking those traditions was serious business not often done. Was it even possible that a Stark could be anything but traditional? A Stark Alpha who cared more for his people than his pride of the pride of his house. Ned Stark was a good start, and he did seem to care more for his people, but his pride still got him killed.

She sighed and glanced out the window, mulling the question over as her advisors spoke among themselves, pouring over the war table and keeping warm by the fire. The room smelled familiar, filled with warm voices and smart commentary. Dany’s eyes caught on the sea, and she felt herself get lost there.

They had only been here two weeks, and already it felt as if her team was in it for the long run. Everywhere she went in Dragonstone she saw mates making rooms together, families busting about as her soldiers trained. Her advisors moved back and forth rapidly, making sure Dragonstone was all it could be, working tirelessly to support her people.

Jon would be there in a day, and she couldn’t help but feel like adding an Alpha to the mix was a bad idea. Sure, Tyrion was an alpha, he was a Lannister after all, but she knew him, she trusted him, and down to her marrow she knew he was with her.

Jon was an Alpha unknown, a wolf unknown.

She heard Tyrion murmur in the corner, “Scouts have spotted his ship just a few miles up the coast, he will be here on time.”

Varys hummed, the scent of his spicy floral perfume hanging in the air, “Indeed. He at the very least prompt.”

It made Dany restless. She turned from the room and walked out, the scent of agitation wafting behind her as she left. She knew no one would follow her because of it, Dany always sought her own company when she was worked up.

She made it out onto a small private courtyard near her rooms and quickly stripped out of her clothing and shifted, springing forth as a winter white wolf with purple eyes and a small frame. She was still much much bigger than a normal wolf, but Drogo had been a wolf almost a foot taller than her. Alphas always tended to run large, but he was the largest she had ever seen.

Betas fell somewhere in between Omegas and Alphas for size, but neither could rival her speed on four paws.

Sprinting out of the courtyard, Dany made her way into the open air, finding her dragons and howling at them.

Their heads stirred from where they had been sleeping, and she swore she saw their eyes glinting as she ran past them, into the woods. They smelled like earth and charcoal and clean burning fire, and the whoosh of wings followed behind her and she ran between trees and towards a clearing large enough for the four of them.

They would hunt together tonight, and tomorrow, Jon Snow would be on her doorstep. Dany hoped he was at least like Tyrion, but she was prepared for another Viserys. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Posting chapter two immediately so we can get out of the explanation bits ASAP and right into the action!

Jon was not like anything she was anticipating. He was not a brash, loud Alpha, shouting orders and expecting them to be followed. He was a true leader, someone who led by example and who asked nothing he himself would not do.

Definitely more like Tyrion than Drogo, but assuredly his own man.

This became abundantly clear when the Onion Knight, his companion and comic relief on his journey to Dragonstone, defended him in a way Dany had not seen any Beta do before. Normally, an Alpha would work to prove himself in any way possible, besting those around them and rising to the top. If their honor was threatened, they reacted violently and swiftly.

But Jon seemed to understand that there were more important things, things which needed doing long before Jon got the chance to have a pissing match. It nearly blew Dany away. He was steady and calm, a rock in a storm, the way any real leader was.

She could not help the gentle scent of impressed and surprised wafting off of her, just as she imagined Jon could not help but smell much the same, with an undercurrent of the sea and smoke and something which she thought might be want. But she also smelled fear coming off of him. Fear of the North and of the Walkers.

That more than anything drover her off of her throne and towards him, breathing as deeply as she could without appearing rude. She felt almost as if she floated down the stairs as she regarded him, hoping beyond hope that maybe this could work.

“I am willing to believe you, Jon Snow,” she said, pacing closer to him.

Jon’s head tilted up and she watched his nostrils flare as he breathed her in, “You are?”

She nodded, “I am. And I am willing to give you access to the dragon glass beneath Dragonstone.”

He inclined his head, “That is very gracious of you.”

Dany nodded, stopping halfway down the dais, her head held high, “I still find your story to be outrageous.”

Jon opened his mouth, but she raised a hand so he would wait.

“I am giving you the benefit of the doubt,” she continued, “We will operate under the assumption that you are correct, because if you are, we have no time to wait. While we are doing so, my own agents will work to corroborate your story. If you are lying—“

“I’m not,” Jon assured, his voice strong and clear.

Dany closed her mouth and stared at him, taking in his dark billowing cloak and his broad shoulders, pulled back and his chin held high. He was not assertive in the way Alphas usually were, mostly brash and bold, the loudest ones in the room.

Jon was not the loudest in the room, but he held himself the same way, well aware he belonged in the same room as any other Alpha, but not willing to utilize their same tactics. He was more clever and more willing to sort through all the facts before reacting.

They stood like that, breathing silently, before Jon nodded.

“My thanks,” he said.

Dany nodded, “You are welcome. My people will see you to your rooms. Tomorrow, we will begin to mine the dragon glass.”

Jon Snow bowed, and left the large room, leaving behind the smell of Winter and satisfaction.

Dany breathed out a large breath and walked back up to the throne, collapsing and breathing deep. Tyrion walked out and said slowly, “That went… Well?”

She nodded, glancing over at her advisor, “As well as it could, for finding out the world is going to end.”

He hummed deep in his throat. “Yes, indeed. If not for that, I would say it was the most diplomatic and productive interaction in Westeros since the Seven Kingdoms were unified.”

She laughed, “You are probably right. That was nothing if not productive.”

He hummed, rocking on his heels next to her.

Dany hummed in response. “Now, I suppose we need to work quickly.”

“Varys is already on it,” he assured her, “We will have answers as soon as humanly possible.”

She stuck her head on a fist and breathed a sigh, her head again growing just a little fuzzy. The scent of Jon Snow still hung in the air, Winter and fire and travel and leather wrapped up in a spicy musk which was comforting and soothing. It reminded her of sitting in front of a fire, warming her toes. Or of reading a good book on a quiet rainy day.

There was something about it which just seemed so essential.

Daenerys shook her head and stood. “I am going to my rooms, come find me if you need anything.”

Tyrion nodded, and went behind the throne, moving into the room she knew Varys was currently occupying. A guard silently followed behind her as she made her way to her rooms, her head growing fuzzier and fuzzier as she walked.

Running a hand through her hair, she waved at Missandei in the hall, flagging her down.

“My Queen,” she said softly.

Dany smiled, “Missandei, would you mind assisting me?”

She inclined her head and followed Dany into her room, leaving the stone halls of Dragonstone behind and entering the room in the castle which was the most furnished. Large piles of fur sat on a fluffy bed and in front of the fire, covering the floors. A rich blue velvet hung from the walls, lending the space a cozy feeling as a golden fire burned in the hearth.

There was not much else in the room, they couldn’t bring a lot across the sea with them, but they had brought plenty of fabrics and smaller, softer comforts and Missandei had made good use of what they had, directing people about Dany’s chambers until they were suitable for the Dragon Queen.

When they both were in the bedroom, with the door closed behind them, Dany sagged forward, putting her hands on her knees and breathing deeply. She felt… Hot. Too hot.

She walked over to the windows and threw back the velvet, letting the wind off the sea hit her face and breathing it in. It helped cool her cheeks and cleared the fog.

“I think I am getting ill,” she said, fanning at her face.

Missandei frowned, “Are you getting your heat?”

Dany rolled her eyes, “Just because I am an Omega…”

Her friend smiled, “I had to ask. I know you aren’t due for your yearly for a while still.”

Daenerys stared at her, still fanning her face, the heat was getting worse, but she had none of the other symptoms of a yearly heat. She didn’t feel aroused, she just felt… Hot. And as if she was floating even as she stood.

Then, slowly, behind the floating, she felt her head begin to ache deeply. Pounding.

“Ugh,” she moaned, leaving the window to lay on her bed. Could she have been poisoned? “Missandei,” she panted, “Get Tyrion.”

Her brow creased, “My Queen—“

She groaned, “Now!”

Missandei turned and ran out of the room, leaving her tossing and turning on the bed.

Daenerys stripped off her outer clothing and her dress, laying on the bed in her shift, a sweat breaking out on her forehead. She moaned again, her headache growing worse, almost as if the back of her head was splitting open.

“What in the name of the gods is happening?” She asked the room, rolling to bury her head in her pillows, groaning with the effort it took.

This was not normal, this couldn’t be normal. Her head continued to feel as if it was being ripped apart, almost as if she was being pried open from the inside and something new was being shoved in there. Anxiety rolled over her in waves, but she breathed deeply, trying to work through the pain.

The heat was still growing as her head peeled wide open, and she screamed in agony, clutching at the back of her skull to try and hold it together. Pain crashed over her body as she writhed on the sheets, desperately trying to hold herself together.

Tyrion burst into the room, his eyes wide, “Daenerys!”

Missandei was hot on his heels, as was Grey Worm, all three of them crowding around the bed as Varys entered her chambers behind them, closing the door against the hall. No one outside of the room needed to know that the Dragon Queen was prone. Her guards would keep any wanderers away, and the thick stone and wooden door should keep the sound at bay.

“What is going on?” Varys asked, glancing over Tyrion as he took in Dany with wide eyes as she hollered and groaned and screamed.

Missandei shook her head, “I don’t know! She stopped me in the hall as she was walking back from the throne room, told me she was feeling ill, and then that she was hot.”

Varys frowned, Tyrion asked the obvious, “Heat?”

She shook her head, “She isn’t due for another month, and even then the symptoms aren’t the same.”

Daenerys screamed again, and Missandei groaned, feeling helpless.

Dany could hardly hear them over the roar of her heartbeat and her pain. It grew and grew until she swore the pain had doubled. She was sure she was going to die, or pass out from the pain. She gasped for air, and clung to a hand when it reached for her, “Help me. Please!”

There was a commotion by the door, but by then Dany had turned over again in her bed, the pain crashing over her in waves, making her blind and unable to focus. She screwed her eyes shut and struggled to breathe.

There was now shouting in the room, but she made no note of it, feeling her fear and pain double up, echoing around her as she tried to breathe. There was something forcing it’s way into her mind, and Dany imagined a hundred poisons working it’s way into her body. This was how she was going to end, she would die right here on her own bed, the end of her dynasty before it could even begin.

“Daenerys!” Tyrion called, shaking her, “You need to breathe!”

Missandei climbed onto the bed with her, trying to rub Dany’s back and encourage her to breathe, but the Dragon Queen did not even notice her presence. When Missandei’s hand landed on her back, she howled louder and immediately everyone recoiled.

“What do we do?” Missandei asked, tears in her eyes.

Grey Worm was at the door, keeping it shut against someone with a steely gaze and his brawn.

“What did you do to him?” Davos demanded loudly, pounding on the door.

Missandei pointed to the water pitcher in the corner of the room, and Tyrion ran to grab it as Varys went to help deal with the man at the door.

Once they got a cool cloth on her head, Daenery’s wails died down slightly, enough so Varys could speak to Davos at a normal level.

“Now is not the best time, Ser Davos,” he said calmly.

“Do not give me that,” Davos said hotly, “Jon is in agony! What did you poision him with? We came here under good faith, and not even a singl day in, you go and kill him? What kind of game are you playing at. You agreed to help us!”

Varys frowned, and then waved to Grey Worm to let him in.

“Does Jon by any chance look like this?” He extended his arm towards the bed and Daenerys.

She had nearly sweated through the sheets and her forehead was still damp, damper still for the cloth Missandei was holding to her. The Queen writhed on the sheets, and when she turned suddenly to scream into a pillow, the room slowed down.

Davos’ eyes went wide, “That— No.”

Tyrion stared at Dany’s shoulders, finding across their expanse a large tattoo which had not been there before.

She was burning up less than before, breathing normally now, or as much as she could after such an episode. Her lungs worked overtime to make up for what she had lost, and when she gathered enough control to gauge the room, she found she was surrounded by people.

She could feel a new tingling crawling across her shoulders, and somehow her mind felt warm and as if there was a thrum running through it at the back.

“What…” Daenerys gulped and glanced around her, extremely uncomfortable with being so vulnerable before so many people.

Missandei spoke first, “My Queen… We believe you have found your True Mate.” 


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, thank you guys for the comments, kudos, and love! I absolutely adore seeing comments, and I appreciate all of the interest and encouragement! 
> 
> I promise things get steamy next chapter, and in the mean time, enjoy!

Daenerys blinked up at Missandei, her violet eyes wide and sweat still glistening on her forehead.

“That cannot be possible,” she breathed, panting as the pain in her head eased off, her body cooling suddenly and calm moving over her. She felt a low thrum still at the back of her mind, but that was the only remainder from her episode. 

Varys looked very grave as he said slowly, “I am afraid it is _very_ possible. All Omegas have a True Mate… You’ve just found yours.”

Daenerys shook her head, then glanced around the room, stopping with Missandei. “I need privacy please.”

Now that the crisis was over, she needed to recover and make a plan. She would evaluate the True Mate possibility alone, and she had to gather her dignity about her. She sat up and rearranged her shift, then stood and pulled on a dressing gown she had handing in the corner of the room.

Tyrion tried protesting, “My Queen, please, we need to discuss this.”

Daenerys turned and frowned, “We will discuss it in the morning when I have had time to evaluate the situation and to form a plan.” Tyrion opened his mouth to speak, and Varys made a sound like he was going to protest, but she spoke over them. “I _need_ rest. We will meet tomorrow morning in the war room.”

Davos was still wide eyed in the corner, looking at her. “This cannot be.”

Tyrion walked up to him, his hands out at his sides, “Come with us, Ser Davos.”

Davos frowned down at him, “I cannot believe this, no Targaryen Omega has found their True Mate for more than a hundred years! Why now? This is a disaster.”

Tyrion scoffed, “Disaster? You’ve just gained the strongest ally you could have hoped for, all through sheer dumb luck.”

The Onion Knight’s frown did not let up, “I don’t know that I would consider anything about our situation lucky.”

Dany cut in then, tired of their bickering. “We can discuss this all _in the morning.”_ She stressed, “Until then, debate if you wish, but clearly we need to move on and deal with the situation as presented. I expect all of you to come in the morning with an idea of how to proceed.”

Tyrion nodded, “We need to figure out how to keep word from getting out. Cersei would surely march here herself if she heard what had happened.”

“She would try and head off news getting out, slaughtering us all before we could come to any kind of arrangement,” Daenerys guessed.

“Indeed,” Tyrion said quietly. “Cersei would have us all killed where we stand.”

The room went eerily quiet, the velvet on the walls muting the sound so all that could be heard was the fire crackling away in the hearth. Dany nodded at everyone in the room, and they took the hint, quietly and slowly filing out. Varys looked determined, and Tyrion looked concerned. Grey Worm let her know he would stand guard personally that night, and Missandei stayed back, her hand resting on the doorjamb.

“Do you want me to help you refresh?”

Dany shook her head. “I think…” She sighed, slumping back into the bed, “I think I can manage. I want to be alone. And to sleep.”

Missandei nodded, “If you are sure, My Queen. 

Dany watched her close the door behind her, and then fell back on the bed. She ran a hand through her hair to get it off of her forehead and kept breathing deeply. The thrum at the back of her head was growing stronger, and her shoulders still tingled just a little.

 _The tattoo,_ she realized. All True Mates formed tattoos. She had forgotten, it had been so long since she had seen a pair, wolves rarely managed to find their True Mate just due to the sheer amount of people in the world. Omegas all had one, that was a fact, but finding them… It was always a chancy game.

She stood quickly and moved to the mirror, figuring that is how Missandei knew what was happening. She shed her dressing gown and turned, glancing over her shoulder to her back.

Across her pale shoulders stretched a tattoo which spanned the entire height of her shoulder blade and across her back. Several beautiful red roses made the backdrop of the tattoo, framed by dark tree branches without leaves. The space over her spine held a dancing flame, flanked on either side by the silhouette of a wolf howling and a dragon roaring.

It certainly was not subtle, but that was the point. True Mates were meant to be undeniable and the tattoos mates developed supported that idea. They were a proud and unwavering symbol that two people were destined to be.

She turned a little to get a better angle, determining that it could be worse. It represented them well, it was undeniable, and she was sure that between her and her advisors, they could find a way to spin the story so it was in their favor. There were worse True Mates to have other than Jon Snow. She could have been mated with a Lannister.

Scooping her dressing gown off of the floor and shrugging it on, Dany walked back to her bed. This was… Strange. The last thing she had expected to have happen when meeting Jon Snow was to discover he was her True Mate. It hadn’t even been something she considered in the slightest. She had long ago accepted that she would never find her true mate, and she was content in that knowledge. Drogo was never her True Mate, which at times had made her sad, but she knew that with him, she could still live a happy life just the same.

She wasn’t sure how she felt about Jon Snow. He was different than any other Alpha she knew. He wasn’t a large practicer of diplomacy, but from what she heard he made an effort, at least, before going on the offensive. Every other Alpha she had met had gone for a hit first, talk later approach, which had left more than a sour taste in her mouth.

Daenerys could admire Jon’s approach in a wolf. Diplomacy was always her first line and she used force only when she felt she could not avoid it. Dany was capable of being ruthless for an Omega, but it hurt her heart to do so. Her preference and her natural inclination was to talk problems through and to come to an accord. Not to burn people.

A shudder ran through her as she remembered the Tully men, but then her shoulders froze when she felt something tickle the back of her mind. It wasn’t the same gentle and comforting thrum from before, this was a spike of panic she instinctively knew was coming from somewhere else.

She heard footsteps come barreling down the hallway, which stopped when she heard Grey Worm call out, “Halt!”

There was murmuring too low for her to hear, urgent and fast, and then her door flew open, banging against the wall a moment later.

Jon Snow was at her door, breathing heavily.

Daenerys sighed. She was hoping she had until tomorrow to process everything and to rest, but here Jon was, her True Mate, at her door.

“Come in Jon,” she said slowly, walking to the door to close it behind him.

“Davos tells me,” he took a deep breath and squared his shoulders, rising tall and stepping into the room. “He tells me you and I…” He pointed to his back, brows drawn together and his eyes shining in the fire.

In his haste, Jon had remembered to pull on a loose black tunic, although he was still barefoot and in a pair of black lounging pants slung low on his hips, but even without seeing his back, she knew what he was referring to. His hair was still a mess, sticking to his forehead, and she imagined he must have felt the same terrible pain and heat she had.

Daenerys nodded,and sat on the bed, patting the seat beside her.

The anxiety she felt in the back of her mind flagged just a little, letting her know she had made the right move.

Jon sat next to her and they breathed deeply, staring at the wall. The velvet silence of the room pressed down on them, the warm fire and the rich blue walls, and as if they shared one heart, their breath slowed and their blood warmed and settled.

As fast as that, Daenerys knew that the mark on her back wasn’t wrong or some mistake.

“It appears,” she said carefully, treading lightly, “That we are True Mates.”

“How can this have happened?” He asked the velvet, looking not dismayed, but also not particularly happy.

She knew the feeling well.

“In the normal way, I assume.” She smiled a little. “It is nature taking it’s course. Even we Kings and Queens can do little to stop nature.”

He scoffed, “I am not…” He sighed, “I am not like other kings.”

“Indeed,” she agreed, “Your people chose you. You’re better than other kings.”

Jon accepted her statement, and leaned back on his hands, “What do we do now?”

Sighing, Dany leaned back on her elbows, and then laid flat on the bed, her hair all around her. With most people she would abhor displaying such casual behavior, but Jon made her feel calm. She did not need the front of formality and rules with him. Now that his own anxiety was not flooding through their soul bond, she just felt tired. The fire crackled and she felt her lids lowering as she sunk further into the bed, warm and calm wrapped in her dressing gown with her True Mate beside her.

Her internal wolf almost preened at the situation, utterly content in a way it had never been, not even with Drogo or Daario. Her wolf wanted to roll around in his scent, the wintery fiery smell that followed him around bathed in spice and musk. Like a brisk walk in winter. Her wolf wanted to curl up on his broad chest and to stay there forever.

Jon sat still for another moment, then also laid back on the bed, his breath leaving him in one long deep exhale. Their feet hung over the edge of the bed, and they folded their hands over their stomachs, staring at the ceiling and recovering from their bond forming.

A gentle understanding moved between them. This was too much to process in one night. This was a rare, life changing, irreversible, and completely spontaneous event. And it was permanent.

“How do you think the people will react?” Jon quietly asked the air.

“Yours? Or mine?”

Jon smiled, “Either. Both.”

Taking a moment to think, Dany knew the answer immediately. “My people will be happy. I care for them, and they care for me. They will see it as a symbol that I am meant to be here in Westeros.” She paused, “Yours… Yours will see me as an interloper. Ruining plans and coming from foreign places to be the downfall of another Stark.”

Her bed creaked as he leaned up on one elbow, “Do you really think so?”

She hummed affirmative, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye.

He settled back on the bed, the knowledge a weight on his chest. Daenerys could feel his worry seep through their bone and the scent of his anxiety fill the room. Without thinking, she reached for his hand and squeezed his fingers. She didn’t need words to soothe him. She squeezed his fingers, letting him know that she was there. That they would tackle this together.

The anxiety coming through eased, and Dany smiled, shifting closer to him.

Jon stiffened, and then relaxed when she settled down next to him, the lengths of their sides pressed to one another. Her wolf wanted to howl with joy. Daenerys tamped down the urge and wrapped herself around his arm, laying her head on his shoulders.

She yawned wide.

The chest under her ear rumbled with laughter, “Should we sleep?”

She raised a brow up at him, “We?”

He coughed. “I don’t think my wolf would let me leave.”

Starks were well known for being in tune with their wolves, so she wasn’t surprised he was reluctant. If his wolf wanted him to stay, he would stay.

“Alright,” she conceded, rising up to actually crawl into the bed, pulling some furs from the foot to cover herself and sinking into the pillows.

After a brief pause, Jon followed her, pulling with him even more furs, fussing over her a moment, draping them strategically around the bed before he too settled back into the bed. There was a short beat, and then he pulled her to him, wrapping her arms around her small frame and pulling her to his chest.

Dany relaxed immediately into him, and exhausted from the events of the day, she fell immediately asleep.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! Sorry for the overdue chapter, I couldn’t 100% decide where I wanted to take this one, but I decided to just go for it! As always, thank you so much for your comments, kudos, and support!

In the middle of the night, Dany woke to a dark room, the fire but embers in the hearth and lending just enough glow to see that she was alone in the bed. She closed her eyes and felt the surrounding area out, breathing in the scent of the room.

Her bed smelled like Jon, but fainter, but the strong hang of winter in the air meant he was still in the room.

She glanced to the windows, and found that the velvet curtains had been disturbed. She walked over to them and pulled back. Jon was shirtless, with a pair of dark trousers pulled on low on his hips, and looking out the windows to the sea. The air smelled of unrest, a slight bitter current under his normal smell. Dany could feel her own unease spring up in response, her inner wolf reacting to the emotion.

“Can’t sleep?” She asked, ignoring her urge to try and fix something she knew wasn’t actually fixable.

Jon turned, and held up his arm so she could slot under it. He remained silent, but his eyes were tired and half lidded. Dany wrapped her arms around his side, and settled in, her cheek against his chest.

They both watched the dark waves together, moonlight catching on them as they crested. The salty wind gently blew against them, chiller than it was even yesterday.

“I woke up because I was thinking about my family.” Jon said quietly.

She hummed, “A large topic for the middle of the night.”

He nodded, leaning his head against hers. “I think you’re right… I think they will believe this is a trick or some kind of maneuver to get them to cooperate. They won’t like it.”

Dany smoothed a hand along his chest, nails glancing through the patch of hair there, and thought for a moment. “What if we went to them? Showed them the marks?”

His brows came together. “I thought of that, but someone needs to be here watching over the dragon glass operations. If that gets off course, then we may as well surrender to the Night King now.”

Dany hummed again, understanding. “We will find someone to watch over it, and we’ll leave behind a guard to protect the operation. We won’t lose it. Perhaps the Dothraki…” She mused silently, her eyes on the sea as she contemplated who to keep at Dragonstone, who to take with her, and who to send to on the attack.

The gentle smell of contentment wafted around them, replacing the unrest and settling everything down, blanketing them. It was intoxicating, and Dany found herself breathing it in deeply.

“You are…” She stopped to think, trying to phrase her question delicately, “You are not disappointed to be mated to me?”

Jon chuckled, “The most beautiful women I have ever seen is asking me if I am disappointed in her.” He glanced down into her violet eyes and smiled, reassuring. “I am not disappointed to be mated to you, only in how complicated our lives are.”

Dany nodded, “Things will not be easy for us.”

“I am sure it will be worth it,” Jon said quietly, running his palm up and down her arm, pulling her tighter to his side.

Dany could feel her wolf preening and howling with joy at that. She was so easy to please. “I am sure you are right,” she said evenly.

Jon snorted.

Dany glanced up at him, “What?”

He smiled, “You. Playing it coy.”

She frowned, “Excuse me?”

He tapped the side of his nose and smiled even wider, “I can smell how happy you are.” He closed his eyes for a moment, “I can feel it too, if I think on it.”

Immediately caught off guard, Dany pulled away from him, but Jon kept close following her back into the room. He was laughing. “Daenerys—”

She huffed and walked over to the fire, her arms crossed, cheeks flaming. She did not like this at all. She did not like someone being able to see into her head, to be so close all the time as to smell how she was feeling. It was a weakness. Yes, he was her True Mate and all that came with it, but she was still ill prepared to have someone in her life with a back door past all of her defences. Who was she without her royal facade? It had been some time since she operated without it, if she ever had.

Her wolf was already all in on Jon snow and everything he was, but the woman Daenerys was was more cautious. It was one thing for her to be able to feel his emotions, and another for him to be feeling hers. Logically, she knew it was a two way road, but that did not change the reality of how she felt.

Jon came up behind her, still chucking, “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to scare you off.”

Dany turned and frowned at him.

“Alright,” he conceded, “Maybe I did mean to make you a little mad.”

Her frown deepened. “Why?”

“I had a feeling you would be fun to tease,” he said, still smiling and undeterred.

His humour tickled at the back of her mind, warring with her natural discomfort. Her wolf, in all of her love for Jon, was having a hard time resisting. It settled down inside her, leaving Dany alone with her pride and secrecy. Normally, her wolf was as suspicious as she was, snarling at anyone who came to close. But Jon, Jon and his bloody Alpha wolf made her want to roll over to her belly and loll her tongue out.

It made the human in her anxious and a little angry. She was more than willing to be around him, to let him learn about her and to learn in return. But the teasing, the knowing. That was new ground.

Wrinkling her nose, Dany sighed, “I do not like to be teased.”

His arms wrapped her up in a hug and pulled her firmly into his chest. He pressed his lips to her forehead and roared with laughter this time. The mood change from the Jon she had woken up to find, to the one in front of her now, was drastic. Dany had a hard time adjusting, but she did melt a little. His laugh was nice. Deep and rich and so free in the moment.

“I suppose… I could learn.” She conceded, glancing up at him. It was increasingly hard to resist his mirth, his laughter made it easy to loosen up.

Jon kissed her firmly on the mouth then, and muttered there, “Good.”

It was completely natural, his calloused hands moving over her shoulders and wrapping around her waist, the laughter dying on his lips.   
  
Dany leaned into him, her arms settling against his abdomen and lightly trailing there. There was a low grumble deep in his chest, and he kissed her again. There was an intense spark there, blooming through their link and then spreading out, setting both of their wolves into the fray and setting a wild edge to their kisses.

His tongue swept into her mouth when she moaned, and that was the end of the line for Dany. She was done and gone, lost in the taste of him and the smell of arousal in the air around them.

The hushed sounds of the fire crackling, the smell of spiced arousal between them, and the undeniable scent of the both of them together made her head swim.

Jon sighed happily, his hands gliding across her back and then drifting up into her hair, anchoring at the base of her head and holding her close to him. Dany scratcher her nails across his back and did what came naturally to her, kissing him back for all she was worth. Their lips clashing and tongues stroking and hands searching. His hands made their way under her dressing gown and then under her slip, palms rough against her waist and squeezing there.

“Jon,” Daenerys panted.

“Hmm?” He hummed, dipping his head to kiss at her neck.

He bit down in the crook of her neck and she hissed. Her body was too warm and wound too tight, hot and ready for more.

“Bed,” she said.

He smiled into her shoulder and then leaned down, locking his arms around her waist and standing, hoisting her above him and making his way to the bed. He dropped her off at the bedside, setting her on her feet gently, his hands moving to her dressing gown.

“May I?” He asked, lifting the shoulders slightly.

Daenerys nodded, stepping out of the gown as he helped her, and before he could ask, shucking off the slip she had on underneath.

She very nearly did howl with delight when his eyes went wide and he looked her up and down, taking in every inch of pale skin in the amber firelight. Her smile was as wolfish as it it could be without her actually turning.

Jon’s eyes glowed a deep red for a moment in the fire before he blinked and followed suit, quickly shucking off his pants and under things.

The breath fell out of her lungs and she felt herself grow warmer, wetter, as she looked at Jon. She had seen his chest when she awoke, but she really took it in now that he was totally bare before her. He was lean and strong in the ways Alphas always found it so easy to be, defined abdominals and pectorals dusted with hair in all of the right places and a belt around his hips which she wanted to just lick. Unlike the other men she had been with, there was a smattering of deep scars across his chest that made her want to growl and snap at the Night’s Watch as a whole. Directly over his heart, there was a wound which had barely healed.

But best and perhaps most obvious of all was the cock which hung between his legs nestled in a thatch of thick dark hair. Her fingers itched to reach out and stroke the soft skin, to unsheath the tip and to touch him until the tell tale knot formed at the base and he was gasping and quivering under her hands.

Drooling with want, her wolf egged her forward, and Dany responded. She dragged her hands up his front as Jon’s hands found purchase again. First at her waist, and then up and in, ghosting over her breasts and then across her nipples. It was quite possible that it was the best thing she had ever felt.

Every patch of skin he moved over tingled in his wake, growing alive so she could feel their breath moving through the room, the heat from the fire, the velvet silence from the rooms beyond. If she was still a moment, she could feel through their connection something different from Jon.

It wasn’t the steady strength from the Alpha that was Jon, but something different. It called to the wolf inside of her. Dany could feel her running to the forefront of her mind and then back across their connection. Something primal surged froth from Jon, and between them something new fired forth, searing further into her mind and then anchoring.

There was no break from the heat, though Daenerys wanted a moment to examine the new connection. If anything, her arousal grew larger, more consuming and heated. It was not like her normal heat, it was too sudden and too intense for that/

Jon groaned and hauled her up again, her legs wrapping around his waist.

“Fuck,” he clipped, turning them both and falling back on the bed, pulling her legs up so she was straddling him, her hands on his shoulders.

She leaned down and kissed his chest, and made her way up to his neck, licking up the column. He groaned again, one hand lifting to cup the back of her head, holding her there.

“Do it,” he whispered at the ceiling.

She pulled up, looking down at him. Her wolf protested heavily, she did not want to pull away. If anything, she wanted to be closer. She yearned to sink her teeth into the crook of his neck and to mark him as hers forever.

Her cheeks were flushed with desire and she tilted her head. “Are you sure?”

Jon’s eyes grew serious, and his thumbs moved back and forth over her hips, “I have been sure from the moment I saw you.”

Taking a moment to absorb that, Daenerys smiled slowly. “The moment you saw me?”

Jon smiled, wolfish. “Yes.”

That was all the confirmation she needed. She leaned in swiftly, teeth sinking into the meat between his neck and shoulder. A set of fangs sprang forth in place of her human canines, aiding her as she sunk in deep.

His back arched wildly off of the bed, and Dany felt their connection sink in a little deeper, and a flood of Jon’s emotions come through it. There was an overwhelming feeling of pleasure, combined with a sense of completion and relief. She extracted herself and pulled back, examining her handiwork.

The mark was a more traditional symbol of mates, not specific to True Mates. It was one of the only wounds a werewolf would obtain which would scar permanently. A very obvious and public symbol that someone had chosen their mate.

Her bite was deep, and Jon held his hand to it, stemming the flow of any blood as his body quickly worked to close the gap.

He looked up at her, “That one is going to be good.”

Dany smiled proudly.

Deciding it was his turn, he surged up from the bed and flipped them, Dany’s back to the bed now and her chest heaving as she caught her breath. Dark garnet eyes moved over her as he looked over her and eyed her neck.

“May I?” He asked, a deep rumble moving through his voice.

A shiver traveled up her back, sparkling and giving her goosebumps all the way. “Yes,” she said, “Please.”

Jon leaned down, fangs glinting behind his lips as he bit down hard. There was a brief flash of pain, and then there was a flood, mirroring the one she had felt from Jon a moment before, but more intense. Pleasure burst behind her lids, and her back came off fo the bed as her hands flew into his hair, holding him to her neck.

Jon stayed a moment more, applying more pressure. Dany sighed deeply, and he pulled back, looking down at her and at his work. His eyes were half lidded and still the red of his alpha wolf. Her eyes glowed the blue of an omega in response, and they stayed there, taking each other in for a moment.

Then Jon leaned down and kissed her fiercely, nipping her lips and bearing down onto her.

“Jon.” She breathed, bucking her hips up and parting her legs. She ground against him, her neck throbbing deliciously, pounding pleasure into her veins. The same kind of bone deep want was coming through their soul bond, and they could almost taste their wolves at the surface.

They clashed beautifully, mouths pressing back and forth, teeth nipping at lips and the columns of necks. Her hips moved against his and he pressed down against her. She was already wet and wanting, and he was nearly red with the waiting.

Dany dug her nails into his back, lifting her hips again, this time making sure she was clear. “Jon, take me please.”

She would not beg, but she did feel closer than she had ever been to it before.

“With pleasure,” he nearly panted, and then without ceremony pushed into her, his hands in the mattress at her shoulders, and his face going slack with pleasure. “Shit.”

Her hips moved to meet him, rising up to take as much of him as she could as he stretched her open. He was as large and perfect in practice as she had been hoping he would be. His knot had not yet begun to form, but she could already feel him growing just a tad larger at the base.

“Move,” she gasped.

“As my queen demands,” he bit out, his head dropping to lick at the bite in her neck as he pulled out and surged back in.

Friction built in her spine, a wire coiling and sparks flying between them as he moved. Each pull and thrust moving like waves over their soul bond and pushing them both tighter and closer.

Daenerys was the first to fall, when Jon tweaked a nipple quickly and pushed back into her, she cracked open. Sparks flew over her and sparkles danced behind her vision as she came.

“Oh, Jon!” She cried out, her nails digging into his back and pulling him close.

The rhythm of his hips stuttered and she felt it at her entrance, his knot fully formed. She pushed up to meet it, and he slipped inside, stretching her even further and then sinking home. He slid into place with a delicious stretch and then with a bit of friction against her which had her soaring again as Jon nearly roared out.

“Shit, fuck,” he bit off, his mouth open and breath coming in fast pants.

Dany relaxed back into the bed, drawing him down on top of her as he remained tied to her, both of their hearts hammering.

“Well,” Daenerys said, “we are officially mated now.”

Jon’s chest moved with laughter, though he was too out of breath of any other sound. “Indeed.”

“The morning meeting is going to be interesting.”

“We’ll deal with it when the time comes, together.”

Dany smiled at the ceiling, “Yes, we will.”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello all! An update! :D This one is SFW (sorry!!) but as always, more is in the works! Thank you guys all so much for the comments and kudos, they mean a lot to me!! :D Your encouragements keeps me going. <3 <3 <3

That night, Daenerys slept more soundly than she had in years. Her dreams were clear and pleasant, and Jon’s smell in her room made everything seem warmer, fuller, and clearer. She knew that finding your True Mate was something which would change her life, but this was beyond what she could have imagined.

At a fundamental level, her life had changed. Even things she took for granted, like tossing and turning every night, had changed fundamentally. It was like the sun shone brighter, the world was sweeter, and every moment was filled with a purpose which she had been missing.

She had always been motivated by her mission, by her people. But now she had Jon to fight for too, and somehow that made everything which came before that much more meaningful.

When she awoke, she was ready to tackle the challenge of presenting her new mated status to the world, and announcing the largest alliance in Westeros.

Cersei would be livid, and for all of Tyrion’s glee at the idea, they were all painfully aware of how dangerous she was. And they all knew a lion with a thorn in it’s paw was even more to contend with.

Groaning, Daenerys sat up in bed and glanced next to her, to see Jon squinting tiredly up at her.

“Morning,” he said groggily, his voice still deep with sleep.

“Jon,” she said, her lips tipping up at the ends.

His hand slid up her arm, and he pulled her down to him, strapping her in his arms and burying his nose in her hair.

“Missandei will be here soon,” she informed him, settling back in his arms.

Her wolf was purring, all curled up and happier than she had ever been, happy enough to make her to make her chest vibrate with a purr, just a little.

Jon laughed, pulling her closer, his own chest rumbling in response.

“We can wait until she comes to get us,” he murmured. “The day will begin soon enough.”

She leaned into him, closing her eyes. “Truer words have never been spoken.”

In the stillness in the morning, they laid together, their chests rumbling softly.

Out of the blue, there was a commotion outside, some loud voices and then.

“Jon!” Davos yelled from their other side of the door. “I am coming in now! Do not let the Dragon Lady smite me.”

Dany snorted and moved in closer to Jon, humming and closing her eyes, unwilling to face Davos at that moment. She did not have the fight to put on her queenly face.

Aside from that, they were both still nude under the blankets and in their interest of not shocking Davos, keeping close to Jon was her best option. She felt Jon settle the blankets around her shoulders, hiding her from Davos, just as the door opened.

“Jon Snow,” Davos scolded, “Is this where you were last night?”

Jon’s frown was like a weight in the room after so many hours of contentment and happiness. “Yes?”

His arms convulsed around her, and Daenerys felt herself becoming sleepy again. Maybe the whole mating process had taken more out of her than she realized.

“Do you know,” Davos said tersely, “How long I waited for you to return to your room? No one in this bloody fortress would tell me where you were.”

A trickle of guilt made it’s way into the back of Daenerys’ mind, and it prompted her enough to roll over and sit up, taking a blanket up with her held to her chest. Jon sat up behind her, a hand still settled on her waist under the blankets.

“Davos,” Jon murmured softly.

The man held up his hand, “No.” He sighed deeply. “It is not your fault. You were subject to the influence of mating, it’s normal behavior.” He narrowed his eyes a fraction at Daenerys, “Your people, however, could be more friendly.”

Daenerys, unwelcome, felt her queenly face fall over her. It was like a spell had been broken, and she was again the Dragon Queen. She was fearsome and strong, a woman who did what needed to be done. She was not a soft girl mooning at her mate, at least, not with Davos there insulting her.

Her expression grew hard. “They were protecting me.”

“I already knew you two were mated, there was no reason to keep secrets from me. What I did not know, was that you two would go canoodling in the night” he said, arguing, “They could have told me he was with you. It is my job to protect him.”

“And what you have done if you knew he was here?” She asked, her voice filled with a falsely sweet curiosity.

Davos stood his ground, “I wouldn’t be worrying that my king was dead, body in the ocean! For all I knew, Cersei could have sent someone to assassinate him. Or your own people could have disposed of him so you could engineer a better match.”

It took only a fraction of a second for Daenerys’s wolf to come to the surface and her eyes to change shade, flashing at Davos as she growled.

“I would never,” she snarled.

The very idea made her want to protect Jon, to tear apart the entire continent to keep him safe. She may have been an Omega, but this was her mate. They had just met less than a day ago, and someone was accusing her of hurting him, of her own people hurting him, so she could be with someone else.

It was an insult to her honor, and just the idea of it made her want to come out of her skin and attack Davos and to cling to Jon. She knew she could never be with anyone else, and she would use every stitch of power she had to protect him, as she knew he would do the same for her.

She was his, and he was hers. They were True Mates.

“Dany,” Jon said soothingly, his hand moving up and down her side. He could feel her agitation and outrage though their bond.   
  
She whipped her head to look at him, and he raised her brows at her, leaning his forehead against hers.“Shh,” he murmured.

She growled, but quickly quieted, looking Jon deep in the eye. There she saw him, the Alpha wolf which lived inside of Jon, but also saw the man who wanted her to trust him. It was soothing in a way she couldn’t describe. It was part the calm strength she could feel in her mind, but it was mostly him. Jon was strong, and calm, and reliable. She could trust him to handle anything, and he would never fail her.   
  
“Take care of him,” she whispered. Blinking hard and tamping down her desire to growl at Davos. Or to burrow into Jon in front of Davos.

Jon smile, “Yes, darling.”

She nearly snapped her fangs at him for that, but he quickly vaulted from the bed and grabbed a pair of his pants, pulling them on, and taking Davos from the room. The Onion Knight looked as if he wanted to protest, but he went quietly with Jon in the end, closing the door behind them.

He left Daenerys behind in the bed, her wolf still howling inside of her, wanting her to follow after them, to stay with Jon and to throttle Davos. It was a furious hurricane of emotions which left her vaguely winded and tired.

Dany fanned her face, looking about the room, trying to regain control. She felt off, it seemed like she was more sensitive. Raw, in a way she hadn’t been in ages. Not since from before her first heat, before she had been sold to Drogo even.

She threw the blankets back and grabbed her robe, moving to the fire and throwing some logs on, reviving it and bringing some more warmth back to the room. She didn’t feel cold per se, but she needed something to do, something to occupy her mind.

She breathed in deep, centering herself and getting her wolf under control.

There was no reason she should be so worked up. She should be able to control her emotions and do what she needed to for her people, and to hide her emotions from people who would use them against her. The marking and the bond formation must have taken more our of her than she thought.

Standing before the fire, she warmed her hands and plotted her morning.

She was still mulling over how to approach her people with her mating when Missandei walked into the room, quietly calling, “My Queen?”

Dany turned to her, smiling softly. “Missandei.”

She rushed over to her, smiling wide, “On my queen! Jon spent the night?”

Daenerys smiled, nodding. “He did. He is… Good.”

“Good?” She said, “I would say he is a far sight better than good.”

Daenerys ignored that. Missandei was correct, but she was not yet ready to analyze her emotions or how she felt. All she knew was, she had her True Mate, and he was a kind man. He was good to her, and good to his people. She scarcely needed more.

Shedding her robe, Dany moved to a trunk in the corner of the room and pulled out what she wanted to wear.

“I have a plan,” she told Missandei, bringing her the dress.

Missandei took the dress, and led Daenerys to a chair, settling her down as she began to gather what she needed to prepare her Queen for the day.

“What is the plan?” Missandei asked.

Daenerys took a deep breath, and laid out her plan. “I think the best way to approach this, it to prove ourselves.”

Missandei’s brow creased, “Prove yourselves?”

“Yes,” she swept her hair over a shoulder and settled more firmly into her chair, watching Missandei as she approached her again with a set of hair brushes. “We know there will be doubters, people who think Jon and I are claiming to be mates just for the advantage it would provide. We need to prove them wrong, and we need our people to have confidence in us.”

“How do you propose to do that?” Missandei began to brush out her hair gently.

“Out tattoos, our bites, and ourselves.” Dany said simply. “I plan to show them us together, how we are, the marks on our back. Presenting a strong united front, with a real tangible symbol of our bond. No one will be able to say it’s fake, and we’ll allow them close enough that they can tell it isn’t fabricated. A meeting of some kind. Or a small mating celebration.” She ran her hands over her thighs and thought for a moment, “Anything that will give people a chance to see us together, and to look at the marks themselves.”

Missandei froze and then leaned over to look at her neck, “I hadn’t noticed, in all the excitement of the morning. You do have a mark now.”

Daenerys smiled, “I do indeed.”

“Are you happy?” Missandei asked her, her voice low and serious.

Thinking for a moment, Daenerys glanced at herself in the mirror they had set in the corner. Her violet eyes were sparkling in the fire, her hair freshly brushed and floating around her shoulders. Her skin was pale, and it almost seemed as if she was glowing, with the clear bite mark on her neck and the tattoo on her back, she looked… claimed.

Not in the way which Viserys tried to claim her, or any other man in her life. Claimed in a way which made her feel and look complete, happy, and incandescent. Though her bond, she could feel that Jon, while agitated he was away from her, was also happy.

It warmed her from the inside out, lifting her up, and giving her strength. As long as she could feel that little trickle of Jon in her mind, she could do anything, would do anything. Her people would see that, and they would accept Jon.

And she hoped, when his people saw how happy they were, they would accept her.

“I am very happy,” Daenerys answered softly, “and the best thing I can do is to show the world how happy I am.”

 


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for my terrible delay, I had such a hard time writing with all the holidays, but now I am back with some more goodness for you all. Thank you always for the lovely comments and kudos, and I hope you enjoy!! You all mean the world to me, and I hope your New Year's is safe and happy. :)

Missandei curled her hair and braided it, pulling the front back and braiding the sides so it all met at the back of her head, where she then fixed in a hair brooch encrusted with dragon glass and threaded through with a hair pin also molded from dragon glass, with a silver dragon head dangling on the end.

Missandei then helped her into a black gown which was threaded through with silver at the hem, and a black overcoat with a keyhole at the front, and her heavy silver three headed dragon brooch. It was well tailored and expensive looking, made with all local fabrics crafted by her people.

She was dressed to draw attention, even more than usual. All eyes would be on her, and she needed to look perfect, if slightly more feminine than she normally appeared recently. It may be a meeting with her most trusted, but appearances mattered, _always._

When Jon came back into the room, he stopped for a moment at the door, and Daenerys couldn’t help the surge of pride she felt when a trickle of his awe filtered through their link. He seemed struck dumb by how she looked, his eyes raking over her head to toe as he took her in.

He closed the door behind him, and heedless of Missandei, went to her and pulled her into his arms.

“You look wonderful,” he told her quietly.

Sometime when he was with Davos, he had grabbed a fresh set of clothing for himself, and Dany buried her nose in his cloak, savoring his smell and his body heat. Fur tickled her cheek, but she loved how Jon smelled, and when he was in the room with her, it seemed to be all she could think about.

Dany stood there and moved in closer, threading her arms under his outer coat and staying there. She breathed deeply, utterly content to never move again.

“Ready to go?” He asked her, holding her close.

Daenerys would normally not hesitate to leave and face the day, but her mind was filled with the way Jon smelled and how incredibly warm he was and how good it felt to stand there in his arms. If she had the time, she would have shifted into a wolf right then and curled up on his lap.

“Daenerys?” He prompted her.

Dany hummed at him, but otherwise did not move, her head foggy and her body warm and relaxed. She didn’t know what had come over her, but she was _very_ reluctant to move.

“Dany,” Jon said gently, “We need to go to the war room.”

Missandei came up beside her, “My Queen, please. We must meet with your advisors.”

Daenerys knew this. She logically understood that this was what they were there for, why she had got ready this morning, why she was in Westeros to begin with, but leaving Jon’s arms felt entirely unimaginable in that moment.

She felt his head drop and his nose bury in her hair, where Jon breathed in deeply. They both fell quiet, and Daenerys could feel something growing through their bond. Something that was pushing her closer to Jon and encouraging her to stay there in his arms, it was also pulling him to her.

Jon breathed in deeply again and then sighed, “Dany…”

“Hmm?” she said quietly.

“When is your heat due?”

Dany shrugged, sluggish and tired and too enthralled with how warm and cozy Jon was. She tried to get herself to move, to do anything, but she found that she just could not. Her body would not obey her. All she could manage to do was cling to Jon and feel warm behind her closed eyes.

Missandei leaned in, but Jon snarled at her, shocking them both. Dany just purred quietly.

“My King,” she deferred, bowing backwards. “I only meant to scent her, see if she was drawing close.”

Jon’s lip was still curled, and he looked at her suspiciously, acting on instinct. Dany could feel his tension, wanted to ease it, but stayed where she was, breathing deeply, her eyes half lidded and watching Missandei lazily.

Jon heaved a deep breath and then relaxed his arms and stood down, letting Missandei closer.

“I am not your king,” he said quietly, and Dany heard him as if through a fog. “You are her friend. Please, you have known her longer, I am sure you know what her heats smell like.”

Missandei smiled briefly and slowly approached, sniffing quickly next to Dany’s head.

She frowned, stepping back, “She is approaching her heat.” Her brow furrowed and she glanced at Jon, “But she’s early. Months early.”

“I thought she smelled different,” he mused, but it was a struggle to keep his voice calm and even.

Behind the wall of his control, his wolf had begun to howl and pace and snarl and snap at Jon, growling all the while about how Missandei _needed_ to leave the room and how they needed to keep Dany safe and ward off anyone who dared approach the room.

Daenerys’s own wolf reared in response, almost as if they were leaping across their soul bond to meet. It was bizarre, unlike anything which had happened to Dany before.

The ball of tension which had been building in their bond swelled rapidly with the wolves arrival, and Dany took in a deep breath, seeming to come out of her stupor. Literal waves of heat broke over them and caused goose bumps to break out all over her arms and chest, her heart to race, her nipples to tighten. Her eyes shifted to the bright shining eyes of an Omega.

She leaned back and glanced at Jon, her eyes wide, “It’s never been like this.”

Dany watched as Jon took a deep breath, and his own eyes shifted, flashing a bright red at her.

Missandei reacted quickly, not wanting to be in the same room as two wolves in heat.

“I will make your excuses to the council, and I will return later today to leave you supplies,” she said, walking quickly out and shutting the door behind her.

The air was tense and warm, Dany stared up at Jon for a beat, and then she jumped, landing in his arms and kissing him fiercely. Her tongue in his mouth, nails digging into his neck, and her chest rumbling with the same sweet purs from before.

The previous night had been wonderful, mind blowing, even. But this was different than that, deeper. Their wolves were tangling together, playing across their bond and sending sparks down their spines, it defied all explanation or reason, but it pushed them both together and deepened their kiss.

Jon’s hands landed on her ass and he swung them around, pushing her against the closest wall and into the velvet there, his hips grinding into hers. Lights sparkled behind Dany’s eyes, and she moved against him, dragging her core along his and making them both gasp.

“Dany,” Jon said, voice thick, nearly a growl, “What is happening?”

She kissed his mouth once, then trailed her lips down his jaw, “Talk later.”

Her own voice was gaining a growling edge, losing herself to her wolf, and the more she lost herself, the more Jon lost himself, slipping into the same frenzy. The tension set their hearts pounding and their hands moving faster, drifting over chests and around necks. His hands tore off her over coats and hers took care of his until they were surrounded by a pile of fur.

Her hunger fed his, and he fed hers, creating a feedback loop of sharp bites and soft kisses. The entire room seemed sparkling and out of focus. Everything except for Jon’s face.

Jon’s hands slid under her dress, travelling up her thighs and then around her bottom, pulling her in closer and harder against him. Dany’s legs pulsed around him and she moaned, urging him to move harder with her, her breathing ragged as they ground into each other.

It felt like she was on fire, like she would combust. There was a roaring flame in her chest and a piece of her very being curled up in her so tight she knew she was moment away from exploding. She was so wanting, so needy, that even just him grinding into her was enough to make her want to scream.

“Jon,” she breathed, “Please, just a little more.”

She could see his eyebrows wanting to twitch at her, but he couldn’t seem to muster the energy to tease her. Instead, he did as she asked, pushing against her core one more time, taking it slowly so he hit her just right.

Dany dug her nails into his arms and gasped, holding on tight as her eyes slammed shut and her world fell apart.

It was different than the night before, more focused. Less a confirmation that they were mates, not a binding of two souls, but a celebration of who they were now, looking forward to the future together and already bound. Her wolf was howling to the moon, and practically begging for more, ready to explore everything that mating could be.

She opened her eyes slowly and leaned in, kissing Jon and riding out the gentle shivers running down her back.

Her heats were always intense, always made her needy, but she had never become so needy so fast before. Already, she could feel herself becoming aroused again, her panties wet and her core aching for more than just friction.

The orgasm had alleviated the fog just enough for her to communicate.

“Jon,” she panted, “More.”

He nodded at her, smiling. “As the Queen wishes,” he teased.

She slapped his arm lightly, “Don't tease me while I'm in heat.”

He laughed and turned, carrying her to the bed and dropping her down. She bounced and sat up to reprimand him, but stopped as he she watched him remove his remaining clothing items and baring his toned body to her.

Moving on instinct, she sat up and kissed the place of his mating bite, and then moved across his shoulders sucking more marks into the skin there, peppering him with reminders of her presence. His hands settled on her waist and then drifted to her back, pulling at the strings there to bare her to him, as soon as he could see her mark, he bent to it.

Jon was less kind than she was, and a hiss forced out of her as he bit down on the still-tender spot. Her body had closed the wound already, but the deeper tissues were still healing. When he applied pressure again, there was a dull ache which caught her breath and made her wet. She leaned into him and whined, ready for him already.

“Jon,” she panted, “Please.”

He pulled back and framed her face with his hands, “My beautiful queen. My mate.” He kissed her, and pulled off the last of her clothing. “Lay back.”

She nodded and did as he asked, lying on the bed, naked and waiting.

His cock was already fully hard between his legs, and when he climbed onto the bed over her, she lifted her hips to him, needing him. 

Jon teased her no more, and did exactly as she had been wanting.

He slid into her easily, his cock filling her and making her back arch, “Oh gods.”

He smiled into her shoulder and shuddered, staying still for a moment. “Dany,” he nearly whined, “What are you doing to me?”

She would have laughed if she wasn’t so mad that he was still. If her own wolf wasn’t screaming and howling for him to _move_ already.

“Move now,” she said, squeezing him with her body, “Talk after.”

He groaned, and then sprang into action. He hips pulling out of her and then slamming back in, rocking her and the bed. He seemed to be larger than before, but Dany ignored that thought. She suspected that when she went into heat, it triggered something in Jon as well. Whatever it was that had come out of their bond was changing them both.

He moved with urgency, pushing her open and holding her legs down at the knees, making room for himself within her and creating as much friction between them as he could.

Daenerys thrashed on the sheets, twisting them in her palms as she tried to keep some kind of control, and failed. One of her hands flew to her breast, and the other between her legs, tweaking her nipple and playing with her clit.

Violet eyes met glowing red ones, and the head of his gaze seared into her and through her as he watched her take in all of her pleasure. She baked in it, lived for it and when she sprang over the edge, she yelled his name and arched her back.

“Fuck,” Jon growled, and with no effort, his knot swelled and popped into her as he _howled_ at the ceiling, his eyes still glowing red and claws growing at the ends of his fingers. He came hard into her, and the swell of pride she felt was indescribable.

Daenerys had never seen anything more beautiful in her life. She leaned up and pulled him down on top of her, biting down on his mating mark and then kissed him fiercely. Her mate responded in kind, the tips of his claws digging into the skin at her hips.

She nearly came again, but instead just laid there, kissing him fiercely as he seemed to still be riding the waves of pleasure.

After a moment, he pulled back and then laid on top of her. They would be bound together for a while more. He moved his hips experimentally, and the movement rubbed his knot just right against her g spot, and suddenly she was flying again.

Her chest was heaving when he muttered, “This is going to take a while to get through, isn’t it?”

She nodded up at him, dazed. Her heats were always intense. But with Jon here, she had a feeling that it would be long as well.

She hoped Missandei brought them _a lot_ of supplies. They would need it.

“I guess,” she huffed, “We will have to delay our plans.”

Jon smiled down at her, “The world can wait.”


	7. Chapter 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello friends!! As always, thank you so much for the comments and kudos! They mean the world to me! I appreciate all of the love and feedback and support! I return from the depths with a new chapter for your Thursday. :)

Missandei came and went as fast as she possibly could, dropping off a stack of cloth, several jugs of water, a crate of food, and an extra set of sheets for the bed, as well as a couple of extra pillows from the room Jon had been in. 

She dropped off the items, verified they were still alive, and then were out of the chambers absolutely as fast as she could manage. Daenerys tried to flag her down and ask her about what was going on outside of her bedroom, but Missandei remained elusive. 

All in all, she gave Dany just enough supplies to arrange the bed in an enormous pile of blankets and pillows. She scarfed down a sizeable meal as soon as she could get her hands into the food and as soon as the food hit her, she was back to almost normal.  

Jon watched her, vaguely amused, as she puttered about the room, arranging things just so. She was nesting down for the remainder of her heat, and Jon could almost feel his pride coming off of him in waves. 

Yes, the world was ending, and yes, people were going to die, and the walkers were approaching faster and faster. But this was his mate, here before him. She was nesting in their room, and he wanted to howl at the moon that she was his and he was hers and that together they would find a way out of this mess. 

It was more than enough for Jon. He had died once already, he would take every second of life which he could. He would savor every second with Daenerys. 

As she moved about, he thought more and more about their future together, and he stopped her fussing, wrapping an arm around her waist. 

Daenerys frowned, “Jon, I’m— ” 

“I know,” he said softly, “Just let me hold you."

She stood still, and then softened in his arms. 

It was quiet, and soft. The fire cracking in the hearth, and their soft breathing. There was contentment wafting between them, and all was well. 

They both tensed as someone approached their door, and then knocked, loudly. 

“My Queen?” A guard asked, loudly. 

Jon sighed, left Daenerys to her nesting, and pulled open the door. 

The guard was surprised, “Um. Lord Stark, there is a message for the queen. It is urgent.” 

Jon frowned at him, and waited. 

“The Queen…” He glanced behind Jon, “The message is for her alone.” 

Jon held out a hand, “I will give it to her directly.” 

Daenerys came up behind him and gently maneuvered herself under his arm, and grabbed the memo. 

“Thank you,” she said happily, putting her hand on Jon’s chest. 

The guard glanced between them, bowed, and then marched back down the hallway, leaving behind only her normal retinue of Grey Worm’s guards. 

Jon pulled her back into the room, and glanced at the memo. 

“Don’t they know to leave us alone?” he grouched, glaring at the wax sealed envelope. 

“It is from Varys,” she said, “He does know better, which makes whatever is in here very important.” 

She unfolded the paper and read it quickly, her eyes moving fast as she took in the message. Any heat she had felt a moment ago, any urges to nest and hunker down in her room fled. 

“What is it?” He asked. 

Dany handed him the message and then walked to the fire, staring into it. 

 

_ My Queen -  _

_ Cersei Lannister plans to move soon. She has taken a loan with the Iron Bank. We will need to move quickly.  _

_ V _

 

“Gods,” Jon sighed, “With that much gold, they can hire an army of mercenaries.” 

“Indeed,” Dany sighed. “I don’t know how much help I will be, but we need to go to the War Room.” 

“Can’t even have a heat in peace,” Jon said, pulling her close. “My poor queen.” 

Daenerys snorted, “I will have to deal. We will have to make it fast. I can already feel it coming on again. We have maybe an hour before we will need to be back here.” 

They each pulled on overcoats and bundled up and covered up the best they could. Daenerys freshened up quickly, then rubbed some scent blockers behind her ears and on her wrists, and finally, sprayed some perfume on her clothes. She was doing the best she could to be unobtrusive. The last thing she needed was an entire castle full of men fighting for her just because she was in heat. 

“The joys of being an Omega,” she muttered, pulling on her shoes. 

Jon chuckled, “Don’t despair too much, we will be back here soon.” 

They walked quickly to the throne room, and then ducked behind the throne and through the door to the War Room. Tyrion was standing, hands braced on the table, Varys was gazing out over the ocean, Missandei was smiling gently at her when she walked in, and Davos was sulking in a corner.

Dany smiled at her friend, but cut immediately to business. 

“Cersei has her funding.” 

Tyrion was grave, “Yes, she seems to have given the Iron Bank the  _ Lannisters Always Pay Their Debts  _ speech. With it, she has secured enough funding to hire an army of mercenaries.” 

Dany opened her mouth, but then was stopped, when a man ran into the room, unannounced, “Pardon, please, My Lord.” 

The page approached Tyrion and gave him a message, and then exited just as fast, his task done. 

Daenerys glared at him, but stopped when Tyrion groaned. 

“They have sacked Highgarden. Killed Olenna. Taken all of the grain and gold in the Reach.” 

Daenerys felt ice and fire shoot through her veins, “What.” 

Tyrion glanced at her, and imparted the last of the information, “They are headed back to King’s Landing,  _ with the gold and grain _ . Our forces have taken Casterly Rock, but Jamie was not there. It appears he is with the caravan returning to the capitol.” 

“They weren’t at Casterly Rock?” She asked cooly, her eyes sharp on Tyrion, a growl rumbling in her chest, her eyes growing hot as coals.

He frowned, “It appears not, no.” 

“And they have taken  _ all  _ of the grain, and gold, in the Reach, leaving us to starve.” 

Varys stepped in, “Perhaps not all of us.”

Daenerys glared at him, her teeth snapping, “Just most of us. Leaving me with only a fraction of an army.” 

“Perhaps…” Tyrion began, but stopped when Daenerys burst in. 

“How could we let them attack us like this? How did we not know that an  _ entire Lannister army  _ was marching on Highgarden? Olenna was our  _ only  _ Westerosi ally. We  _ needed  _ her, needed her gold and her grain!”   


Jon coughed, “Not your only Westerosi ally.” 

She whirled on her mate, anger crackling along their bond, a deep ire and frustration at being so attacked by the Lannisters. First Yara, now this. 

“Oh? And do you mean to tell me that the Starks, after all you have suffered, have pockets as deep as the Tyrells? Has the North suddenly thawed and become fruitful farmland?” 

Jon stared at her, his brows knit, but stood his ground. “You know this is not the case, Dany.” 

She growled. Their wolves were at odds between them, their eyes flashing as he tried to understand, and Dany was unable to contain her anger, her frustration. Her drive to protect her people was so strong, she could hardly stand the idea of them starving. 

“Dany…” Jon sighed, “We will figure this out. We can mobilize, try to intercept them.” 

Tyrion protested, “They will never make it in time, and it will leave us vulnerable to chase after them.” 

“We are already vulnerable!” Daenerys reminded him, “We have lost our biggest ally, the one person who we really needed to win this. Now, we need to attack. We must counter.” 

Tyrion protested, “My Queen, please, with time to plan, we can find alternative sources of both food and gold. If we attack them now we risk losing even more.” 

One of her dragons road in the distance, and Daenerys’s mind was made up. She stalked to the window and howled at the ocean, and another roar answered, closer this time. The beat of large wings could be heard, carried on the winds of the ocean as she whirled to exit. 

“I am taking the Dothraki with me. It is time that Jamie Lannister see me for who I am. It is time for Westeros to meet the Dragon Queen.” 

Jon followed after her, “Dany, no. That’s far too dangerous, you can’t put yourself out there like that.” 

Tyrion followed behind Jon, “My Queen, please, we cannot allow you to become a target. If you die, all of this will have been for nothing.” 

Missandei and Davos voiced their concerns, each echoing Tyrion’s statements, but Daenerys silenced them all. 

“Olenna has died. The Reach is taken. The Lannisters have gold  _ and grain  _ that we need if we are not going to starve. If I do not die today, I  _ will  _ die when winter comes, and the Lannisters come knocking on our doors, an army of mercenaries at their back while we waste away. What will we do then?” She demanded. “I will not remain sitting on my throne while people die, and wither away with starvation. I refuse. I am a better queen than that.” 

She stalked through the throne room, the beating of leathery wings getting louder a she moved. 

“Dany,” Jon said, keeping pace with her and she moved, “Please. This is dangerous.” 

“War is dangerous, Jon.” 

“Yes, but Queens and Kings shouldn’t be riding into battle with no thought.” 

“I have thought about it enough to act, and I will have Drogon with me. I will be fine. You rode into battle against Ramsey Bolton,” she pointed out. 

“I was not a king then!” Jon protested.

“This needs to happen now,” Daenerys affirmed, moving faster, “There is no time to waste. I intend to make a statement, a fiery one the Lannister’s won’t forget. It is as if they don’t believe that I have dragons, they have no idea what a threat I am. I will show them, first hand.” 

“Daenerys, what about—” 

“About nothing Jon,” She snapped, and she could feel the confusion and concern drifting through their bond. She pushed back at it with her anger. “This is what must be done, and I am the only one who can do it. I refuse to lose any more ground to the Lannisters, I will not sit back anymore as people die. I can do more, I  _ will  _ do more.” 

She burst out into the courtyard, and there was Drogon. He was beautiful and glittering in the sun, black as night and his red eyes watching as he waited for Dany. 

“Daenerys,” Jon tried one more time, sounding more and more distressed. “You need to come back.” 

Dany glanced at him, steeling her resolve, “I will.” 

“ _ Unharmed _ ,” Jon stressed. He moved in and pulled her close to his chest, “Let me come with you.” 

Dany shook her head, “No, Jon. One of us needs to stay here, and Dorgon would never let you ride him.” 

The dragon chuffed. 

His arms grew tight, “We just found each other.” He took a deep breath. “Please, I need you to come back.”

There was a feeling so sweet it was painful bearing down on Daenerys,  filling her mind and making her eyes fill with tears. 

“I need you,” he said softly, so quiet she almost couldn’t hear it. “I need you more than I can say. You are my mate. My entire soul.”

Her heart broke, and Dany knew she had to leave then, or she would never leave his arms. 

“I will come back, Jon,” she sighed and then stepped back from him, her wolf protesting the movement away from her mate. “I have to do this.” 

He did not nod, he did not agree, but he did let her go. 

All thoughts of her heat were gone, forced out of her mind as she brought the upcoming battle into her mind, all thoughts of returning to her chamber abandoned. The Dragon Queen had more pressing matters than her own personal urges. She could feel the need building up in her with every step, but she was able to resist it, single mindedly picturing Olenna’s death, and the inevitable demise of the Lannisters. 

 

She climbed up onto Drogon, and with a cry, she flew, and an army of Dothraki went with her, howling her anger into the open air. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shit son it's been a month, I am so sorry friends! This chapter fought me, and I have been trying to devote more time to my novel (also work blah blah blah). I appreciate you're patience, and I hope this is all the drama you were craving!! 
> 
> As always, I absolutely appreciate every single comment and kudos!! I ready everything you have to say, and I am so lucky to have such great readers. <3 <3

Jon paced back and forth through the hall, his mind turbulent and his thoughts racing. He knew she was still alive, and he assumed Dany was unharmed. He could feel her through their bond, feel their connection. But it did nothing to calm his mind. 

She had thrown herself into battle with no planning, no training, just relying on Drogon to keep her safe. 

Drogon was large, loyal, and fierce. Everything Jon had seen of the huge black dragon was good. But he was not immortal. And he was not foolproof. 

Maybe,  _ maybe, _ the Lannisters would be startled enough by Drogon to completely disband. Maybe Dany would be fine. 

Or maybe not.

Jon scowled at the wall and turned around again, stalking back towards the main doors, his mind thunderous. 

Davos was sitting in the corner of the room, watching as Jon paced. 

“There is nothing you can do,” he repeated. 

Jon shook his head, “I know.” 

“She does have a large dragon with her.” 

“What if it’s not enough?” 

“It will be.” Davos affirmed. 

Jon frowned, “Davos…” 

“Jon,” Davos mocked him. They locked eyes for a moment, and Davos took pity on him. “She will be fine. She is strong in her own right. As much as it pains me,” he took a deep breath, “she is the ideal mate for you. I know you are going out of your mind. But you need to trust her. Trust that bloody dragon.” 

Jon wandered to the side of the hall and sat down in the chair, his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. 

There was silence in the hall, and the tension radiated off of Jon and began to fill the space. He was a man of action, crippled. 

Davos scooted over, sitting in the chair next to him. 

“Would you feel better if we waited outside?”

Jon opened his mouth, and then closed it, looked out the door, and  _ ran.  _

A moment later, Davos heard wings in the air. 

Jon sprinted out into the courtyard and then further, out the gate, down the bridge, and into the field. His cape billowed out behind him like a black cloud of fur and velvet and he kept up speed until he saw Drogon rise over the horizon.

He stopped in the field and looked to the horizon. There was another thudding beat of leather wings, and the rumble of hoof beats followed. 

There was a surge of relief so strong, Jon’s knees felt weak, and he could feel his elation filtering between them. The thud of wings continued and with every moment Drogon approached, power and terror.

Sitting up high on his back, Daenerys’s silver hair flapped in the wind, and across her cheeks and tangled in her hair were streaks of red. 

All relief halted, and Jon was terrified again.

Drogon landed with a thud which shook his bones, and immediately he was rushing forward, ”Dany!” 

She stepped down off of Drogon and he was right next to her. 

“What is all of this blood?” His hands skirted over her shoulders and then down her sides, sliding under her cloak, looking for injuries. 

“Jon,” she said.

His hands slid over her back. 

“Jon!” 

He leaned forward and pulled her head forward, looking for red seeping from her skull. 

Daenerys took a step back, “Jon!” 

He looked her up and down and asked, “Why are you covered in blood? Whose blood is this? 

She glanced behind her, “They had some kind of weapon that shot spears, one of them got lodged in his shoulder.” 

Dany walked over to where Drogon was injured, and ran a gentle hand next to the wound. 

Jon glanced at the wound, “A weapon?”

“It hurled spears like an arrow, it was the size of a carriage…” She stared at Drogon’s hide, remembering. “I tried to pull it out, and then someone came charging at me.” She glanced at Jon, “I think it was Jamie Lannister; he had a golden hand.” 

Jon frowned, “It makes sense he was there. Were you hurt?” 

She shook her head, and smiled up at her Dragon. “Drogon took care of me.” 

Reaching out, he curled his fingers around her shoulder and pulled her close. “You scared me.” 

She wrapped her arms around his middle, “I was fine.” 

“You were almost killed by the Kingslayer.”

Dany huffed. 

Jon leaned back, “It’s true. If Drogon hadn’t of noticed him, or hadn’t been fast enough, you would not be here. Jamie Lannister is no easy opponent. You were in danger.” 

“War is dangerous,” she reminded him. “I am a poor queen if I don’t know that.” 

Jon had a reply on the tip of his tongue, but before he could argue with her her further, Missandei came walking out of the keep, smiling. Tyrion and Varys were hot on her heels, Varys’s face serene, and Tyrion walking with an ever present crease between his brows. 

“My Queen!” Missandei called, “You’ve returned.” 

Dany smiled at her, and then at Tyrion and Varys. 

“Were you successful?” Varys asked. 

Dany nodded, “Very. The caravan was destroyed, and I have brought back some key players.” 

Jon frowned, and Tyrion piped up. “Brought back?” 

She nodded. “You can meet me at the outcropping to the west, the Dothraki are bringing the prisoners and stragglers there.” 

“Why the outcropping?” Jon asked. 

Daenerys’s lavender eyes grew flinty and hard, “They will need dealt with. I will not bring them into the castle, it will be easier to do in the open.” 

Jon glanced at Tyrion, and then Varys. Both men looked confused, neither had answers. 

They clearly wanted to speak more, but a crowd was beginning to gather, people leaving their tents at the foot of the castle, Unsullied and Dothraki coming out from the keep to greet their queen, looking her over. 

“What are you planning?” Jon asked her. 

“I am planning,” she said, voice hard, “For them to bend the knee.” 

“Key players, bending the knee?” Tyrion asked surprised. 

Varys hummed, “Ambitious indeed.” 

“Who did you bring with you?” Missandei asked. 

“The Tarlys. Some captains, other high ranking soldiers.”

Jon stood up straight, suddenly interested. “Tarly?” 

She nodded. “Dikkon and Randyll, I believe.”

Jon seemed at a loss, “They are here?”

She frowned, and then nodded. “Yes. Why.”

“Samwell Tarly is my Maester. My friend. He is training now in The Citadel.” 

“Then I hope they will join us,” She mused. “It would be an advantage to have all of the Tarly’s on our side.”

Jon snorted, “Randyll is not a fan of Sam. It will be a hard sell.” 

Daenerys was not deterred. She was a wall of surety and determination. 

“Then they will burn. I do not have patience for enemies.” 

Tyrion protested, “You can’t kill Randyll Tarly.” 

She started him down, “He is one of the best military minds in Westeros. If he is not with me, he is against me. I do not need an enemy such as him against me.” 

Tyrion opened his mouth again, but Dany cut him off. 

“I am not allowing him to go free. And I will not risk his escape. He has to either join me, or burn.” 

“Dany,” Jon said quietly. “That’s Sam’s family, we can’t kill them.” 

She raised her brows. “He once fought for the Targaryens. He has no reason to refute me here and now. It would be a waste to see a mind like his ended. But this is war.” 

It hurt Jon to feel her disapproval through their bond, to see it in her eyes. It left a bitter taste in his mouth, and his breathing felt short. But he could see Sam in his mind, his family. No family should face such extinction. Talla Tarly would be the only family that Sam had left if Dany killed Dikkon and Randyll.

Her face softened a fraction, but she repeated. “This. Is. War.” 

Something welled up in Jon, something ugly and afraid and relieved she was alive and twisted with war and pain and death and life. It was an amalgamation of all of the emotions he had been trying to control since he had died. 

It was a tangible ball rolling between them, and Jon noticed Dany’s eyes widening as she felt it move and twist, seething with a rage born from being bottled up and looking for a time to explode. 

“Yes!” He said, “It is! This is a war, we are all aware, but we are  _ not _ barbarians.” 

She frowned, “Jon…”

“The Lannisters are spreading rumours, calling us northern bumpkins, or barbarians from across the sea. We have to be better than that! You went flying into a battle, looking for death. You are lucky you came back! Now, you want to exterminate an entire family line? How does that help us? Give people hope?” Jon threw out his hand to the west, “If we lose you, if we lost leaders who could be persuaded to our side, we just  _ lose. _ ” He took a step closer to her,  _ “ _ Sam is a black coat, he can’t take over his house. The Tarlys will die out if you do this. Isn’t surviving the day enough for you? Drogon was attacked! We have greater pressing matters, just keep them in the keep, give them time to think. To consider.” 

Daenerys was filled with righteous fury, “No war is without price! No family is left untouched. We can try, but it is not easy. It is not clean.”

The crowd was shocked around them, a hush breaking out. Jon glanced at them frowning. 

Tyrion stepped forward, “My Queen, the War Room is open for discussions--” 

She whirled on Tyrion, “No. They need to hear.” 

She raised her voice louder, shouting to the crowd around her, women and children who travelled with her, soldiers left to defend the keep. Jon was fuming, at a loss. 

“We can do this,” she said loudly. “We can create a better world, but the road is not easy!” She whirled in a circle, ignoring Tyrion’s frowning and Jon’s dismay. “We need to stay standing through the tough times to reach a better life! Together, we can do it, we can free the world and  _ live in peace!  _ The road is long, and we have so far to go. But we have already done so much, overcome so much. We cannot stop now. We are just beginning. We cannot let all we have sacrificed, all of the people we have lost, to be in vain!”

One Dothraki women shouted in agreement, and a wave of energy built up around her. 

“We must remember the difficult times,” Dany continued, her voice strong, her face set, and the picture of a leader. “We must remember our loved ones who are gone!” 

There was an answering roar from the crowd. Covered in blood, Dany raised her fist to the crowd, her voice growing louder, and the Dothraki around her beginning to cheer, their voices rising high. 

“We are building a better world for them! We are fighting so our children can live a better life! We must remember our cause, our mission! Together, we rise!” 

Tyrion tried to interrupt her, “My Queen…” 

But the roar around them was too loud. Women were shouting, fists raised in the air. They pressed close around them, encouraging their queen, smiling wide. Some shouted the names of their lost loved ones, some the names of their children, and some began to howl to the sky. 

It was everything their cause was about, hope, family, freedom. But Jon had never felt so alone. 

There was a force of pride rolling off from Dany, but it did nothing to touch the deep unsettling feeling in his stomach. His mate wouldn’t speak with him, listen to him. She was going to kill Sam’s family. Randyll would never bend the knee. 

She threw her head back and howled with her people, and Jon felt an undeniable urge to join in, but his throat was stuck. 

Their bond was twisted, painfully pulling at the back of Jon’s mind. He lifted a hand to rub at his neck, trying to ease the pain. 

“Dany,” he said quietly. 

Her eyes shifted to him, taking him in with her people around him, everything she had built. Her pack of wolves howling around her, her mate. She had the world at her fingertips. 

She was dirty and blood stained, but she was undeniable fierce, bloody and beautiful. Her hair billowed out around her in waves of silver streaked in red, her cloak floated on the wind, and she was ready to take all of Westeros by force.

“Please,” Jon said, “It’s all the family he has. Be gentle...” 

She sighed, “I will try.” 

Jon stepped close, “Be careful… Please. Come find me when you return.” 

Her eyes searched his, and he remained steady, standing fast in the howling crowd. There was a ripple of something through the crowd. People were paying close attention to them, wondering. 

_ Fuck announcement _ s, Jon thought,  _ let the world know.  _ He leaned in towards her, unable to overcome the urge to claim her. 

Tyrion swore, and Varys sighed deeply. He had a vague sense that Missandei found it romantic.  

Jon didn’t care. His lips touched hers, and he knew it would be ok. They would find a way. The world would be theirs. Her lips were strong and soft beneath his, and she still smelled the same under all of the dragon’s blood and dust. 

The crowd began to howl again, louder, and when they broke apart, Jon and Dany broke into howls of their own, their hands linked. 

The message was clear. The Queen had found her King. The entire world would know. 

Drogon lowed, and Daenerys turned to him. “Let us be off.” 

Jon watched her fly away again twice in one day, and Tyrion swore behind him. The beating of leather wings thudded through the air, and the crowd roared with every beat of his wings. 

“I will meet her there, try and stay her hand,” Tyrion said, barely audible over the crowd and the flapping of Drogon’s wings. 

There was an ache in Jon’s chest, and for a moment, he felt something from Daenerys, an echo of his own feelings. They still had some things to work through, but now, at least they could be open. 

Varys put a hand on his shoulder, “She will settle down. She is just… Our Queen is incapable of inaction. She has to do everything she can, she will not allow herself to be any other way.” 

“I understand,” Jon said. “But if she isn’t more careful…"

He remembered what it felt like to die, to be so empty there should have been no coming back from it. The idea of a life without Daenerys, of a life where they weren’t together, in sync, was torture. 

He wouldn’t survive if she died. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun times ahead when she comes back. 


	9. Chapter 9

As soon as Daenerys had taken off, Tyrion followed her quickly on horseback, and Jon, Missandei, and Varys were left with a thousand burning stares. 

Some onlookers eyes had shifted to flinty wolf colors, and there was a tense wire running through the air, ready to snap. Jon was keenly aware that he needed to address them, someone had to break the tension. 

Missandei smiled at Jon, and then turned to face her fellows. 

“Our Queen,” she said, “Has found her mate. He is Jon Snow, King in the North, son of Ned Stark of Winterfell.” 

A hush fell over the crowd, and then there was a wave of questions. 

“A northern bastard?!” One person yelled. 

Another wolf growled loudly and shouted, “Our Queen would never pick a man so weak!” 

“How do we know we can trust him?!” 

“I think it’s sweet. They’re star crossed,” a girl in the crowd said.

“Quiet, girl,” someone snarled. 

The questions and the outrage began to mix into a roar. Friends were turning to one another to gossip and old enemies were shouting at each other. Words of support and cooing over the romance of it all mixed in with anger, outrage, and indignation. Many of them were upset that a  _ Northerner  _ not of their kind, was their queen’s mate. 

In an ideal world, she would have mated with another Kahl, or with a man with more money. But she had mated with Jon, a self proclaimed king of a country at war. It wasn’t ideal, but Jon was  _ proud  _ to be her mate.

Jon sighed, and raised his head, speaking clearly. “Enough.” 

There were a couple of murmurs, so he raised his voice and spoke again, “Enough.” 

This time, the crowd turned to him fully, their eyes sharp on his. Jon stared them all down, daring someone else to speak, to approach him. 

“Yes, I am a northerner.” He said. “Yes, I probably do not deserve her, but she is mine all the same.” 

There was a collective breath, like the entire crowd would explode again, but Jon held up his hand. 

“I know that this is confusing.” He said, “I will make no excuses. Things are as they are, and there are forces at work here beyond our understanding. But I swear to you, I will do right by you, and I will do right by her. I can see in your eyes how dear you hold her, how much of your hopes you have placed in her.” 

His eyes burned as they swept over the crowd, letting each person assembled know he was serious. He didn’t want to flash his eyes at anyone, but it was there, just shimmering under the surface. Proof that he was an alpha, and that his every syllable was weighted with an oath. An oath to them, and to Dany.

“ _ I know.  _ I know how hard it has been for you, and I know that Westeros is broken right now. But I know Daenerys can fix things. I believe in her, just as much as you do. My only goal is to help her, and to help Westeros. You can count on me, and you can count on the North. I will prove it to you.  _ Let me prove it to you. _ ”  

He paused, meeting as many people as he could in the eye, letting his words sink in. He had to win them over, Jon knew that. But he was determined to form a real bond with these people, not to just placate them with what he knew they wanted to hear. 

They needed to be absolutely sure in him, and sure that he would be good for their queen. They loved her, and Jon had no doubt that they would have no problem ousting him if he gave even the smallest sign that he would betray them or do Daenerys wrong. 

Missandei stepped forward, her hands raised, “We should be welcoming our Queen’s mate! Let us celebrate together. This is a happy occasion, one which has made our Queen ecstatic. We should be joyful for her, and for our new King. Let us not despair, let us take things for the joy they are.” 

Jon smiled at her, and the crowd cheered. 

He kept his mind on the crowd until Dany returned, thinking over and over again about how he could make these people trust them. But in the back of his mind, he could feel Daenerys’s sorrow, and he knew something had happened. 

Missandei took him back to the velvet room, chatting the whole way, Varys trailing behind them, listening intently. The crowd parted for them, and at the corners of his eyes, Jon could see people kissing, dancing, and raising their hands to the sky.

“We will need to post more guards on your floor, especially now that word is out. Things will travel quickly.” 

Varys huffed, “Indeed. Nothing travels faster than a good piece of gossip.” He sighed. “I  _ suppose  _ I could let out a false bit… See where it ends up and who is doing the telling. But frankly, I wouldn’t bother.” 

Jon nodded, agreeing, “What is done is done, we need to concentrate on moving forward, not keeping secrets. Things are how they are. Let word spread, we don’t need damage control, we need to make sure we present a united front. They were going to know she had a mate sooner or later.” 

“Indeed,” Varys said, “Missandei and I will get with Tyrion when he returns. I think a public spectacle may be in order, but we will need to find the funds. There is no better way to put you both on display, or to show the world that you’re united than to throw a party. You can even wear matching outfits.”  

“Whatever you think will get us ahead of things,” Jon mused, “The last thing we need is everyone’s attention diverted to arguing over us being mates. What’s done is done. There is no changing it. We need to concentrate on the war, and if throwing some kind of party will get everyone to refocus, then so be it.” 

Missandei smiled wide. “The king said so! A party it is! This will be fun. I am sure Daenerys will love it.” 

Tyrion snorted. “She will tolerate it, I think.” 

Varys sighed, “It will get it all out of their system so we can refocus on the Lannisters. I am sure the queen will see the practicality.” 

“Practical? Dany can have fun,” Missandei defended her friend, “Sometimes. In private.” 

Jon opened his mouth to respond, but then his breath stole from his lungs, and the group turned to gaze at him. The sorrow in the air grew, and the thunder of wings could be heard distantly. 

“Something is wrong,” Jon told them. 

“Wrong?” Varys glanced out at the sky. “How do you know?” 

“She’s sad. And angry.” Jon said. “I can feel it.”

“It’s never good when our queen is angry…” Tyrion mused dryly. “I will go oversee the festivities downstairs. You should probably go meet her.If something has her angry well… Better you than one of us sees her.”

Varys hummed. “I have things to see too. Give the Queen my regards.” 

Jon and Missandei were the only ones left standing. 

“I suppose… I should meet her.” Jon sighed, “I’m concerned. I’ve never felt her like this before.” 

Their bond was a roiling churning mix of anger, self-loathing, and an overwhelming sadness. He assumed she had ended a life, and he could only hope that in the end, Sam would forgive them both. 

Missandei was silent, her arms linked behind her back as she looked him over. Her eyes were sharp and bored into his. 

After a moment, she spoke. “You will make it.” 

“Pardon?” 

“You. Will. Make. It.” She said, slower. “You will succeed, and you and Daenerys will sit on the Iron Throne. You just need to hang in there until then. She can be… challenging, but only because she has been through so much.Take care of her, please.” 

Jon nodded. “I will. I will do everything I can for her, and then some.” 

He knew this was a big deal for her to put her trust in him. It was generally accepted that mates  _ would  _ go the distance… but there was never a guarantee. You could still drive your mate away, something could happen to one or the other. The world was a large and crazy place, and Jon knew that mating was just the beginning, the real work was ahead of him. 

Her answering smile was genuine. “I believe you.”

Jon appreciated her, nodding his head, and then stole from the room, off to meet his mate. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello! Long time no see! I have been working on a LOT of projects outside of fanfiction, so I take full responsibility for my slowdowns on here. As always I am eternally in your debt and grateful for your comments, and kudos! This chapter is a transition into more juicy things, and we're rapidly approaching where the season ended, and where the big fun begins. 
> 
> If you wanna see what I am up to, I have a glance at my website [here](http://www.alodiathaliel.com/), [my twitter](https://twitter.com/AlodiaThaliel), or you see some of my new ventures in this [YouTube playlist.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfKAWeTYUfL50CVCUpQiP84WK6sAWL85U) I got kind of into writing ASMR roleplays lol. <3 I promise I will try and be more conscious about updating this. We gotta keep up our hype for the last season!


	10. Chapter 10

Their fight was… not pretty. 

It was almost unbelievable that two such newly mated people could be so at odds, but here they were. 

Yes, Sam’s family was horrible to him, and yes, he deserved better, but Jon knew that regardless of anything, Sam valued them just for them. Sam was well aware they were awful, but that changed nothing about the fact that he still saw them as family. 

Jon had a hard time accepting Sam’s view, but that didn’t mean he wanted them dead. Let alone destroyed by dragon fire. It was a gruesome end that few people deserved, and Sam’s father was  _ smart.  _ They could have converted him to their side, with enough time and coaxing. 

“I don’t know what to do!” Jon shouted. “Every fucking day there is something new, and we’re  _ supposed  _ to deal with it together. Who can we rely on if we’re not relying on each other?” He fumed and stared her down. “You didn’t even consider my feelings for a  _ second  _ did you? Is that how it’s going to be? You’ll just ride off where I can’t follow and do whatever you want? You just made  _ my best friend  _ an orphan. Killed his only living relations!” 

“They were terrible people!” Daenery claimed. 

“Maybe! But you didn’t know them! They were just proud! There are far worse people in the world, and one of those men you killed was  _ the best tacticition on the continent!”  _ Jon opened his arms wide, gesturing to their room around them. 

“I don’t care!” She said, throwing off her cloak and pointing at him. “I did what I felt was best. The  _ best tactician on the continent  _ refused to join me, and I can’t have him working against me! Who they were didn’t matter.” 

“Like hell,” Jon growled, “It mattered and you knew it, you just didn’t care.” 

Dany scoffed, “I can’t waste my time considering every opinion in the world.”

Jon stared at her, silent. Betrayal swimmed in his eyes.  

Dany cringed, “Jon…” 

“My opinion,” he said, voice hard, “Is supposed to matter. That is a part of being mates. Some would even say that’s the  _ entire  _ point! Because really, what are we if my opinion doesn’t matter? Hm? Am I your play thing? Just some poor sap who can’t help but be around you? Who can’t  _ help  _ but love you? ” 

Dany stared at him, “Jon…” Her voice caught in her throat, the word  _ love  _ echoing around it. She wanted to address that, but every time she opened her mouth it shut again. 

She shook her head, clearing it, trying to be rational. “It takes time to make this adjustment. You know that! You know this isn’t easy, and our situation isn’t  _ exactly  _ standard. You’re not my play thing but… Are you even ready to have your opinion matter? You’re a king now Jon. And I know you didn’t exactly want to be King in the North, do you really want to be king of all Westeros in addition?” 

A scowl twisted his lips, and Jon looked away. He breathed in heavily through his mouth and then let it out slowly. 

“What I want changes nothing.” His voice bitter, and it made Dany’s heart ache. “What I want has never once had an effect on my life.  _ What I want doesn’t matter.  _ What matters is how things are, and how they are is this: You and I are mated, and we’re now King and Queen of the North, the Dothraki and the Great Glass Sea, the Nameless, the Andals and the First Men, and we have those fucking dragons.” 

His eyes cut across to her, “Why, in the face of all of that, does it matter what I want? I have an obligation to those people. I am here,  _ we  _ are here, and I expect to be treated in a way which reflects that. Bring King means I put them first, and that I must sacrifice  _ everything  _ for their sake. I have to at least try to advocate for them with you, because who else will? Who else will tell the queen who has never been to Westeros that there are good people here? Does Varys tell you about the warm hearts of the Northerners? Does Tyrion? Will either of them mention to you their favorite kind bakers or where they go for eggs? I know these people and I know these lands. I know what they need and you  _ need  _ to listen to what I have to say, you need to listen to me  _ for their sake _ . I can tell you what they need, I can help you, and you can help me help them.” He sighed. “What I want is to go  _ home,  _ Daenerys. I don’t want to fight with you, I don’t want to be forced into taking care of all of this but… I have to. If not me, then who?” 

He sighed, all of the things he wanted to do when she returned, this was not one of them. He was bone deep tired, the weight of the world on his shoulders. 

“I’m going for a walk,” he said flatly. 

“You… Can’t.” She said, her voice starting and stopping. She could feel his resentment, of his title, of the position they were in. It all beelined right into her mind and flooded her heart. It was a heavy weight in her head and on her soul. He was speaking the truth, she knew it. He did not want to be kind, but he was, and now he had to sacrifice everything because of it. Some people would think being king meant that he could do whatever he wanted… But Jon was a good king, and so the opposite was true. 

There was not a single other person on the plant, who understood what being a good king meant quite so well as Jon.

She cursed herself then. She was a fool. She was so concentrated on what she had to do, she had let things fall apart. Again. 

Was this her curse? To be so focused on doing what she thinks is best that she would make her mate feel worthless? Like he wasn't doing his best? To take away his choices and force him to live a life of frustration, repeating himself over and over while she did whatever she wanted. 

Being a queen, a real queen… It meant she should to listen to people, especially when it was someone as smart as Jon, someone who cared as much as he did. 

“Jon,” she tried again. “I…” The rest of the sentence died on her tongue. 

“I have to be away for at least a little bit, Dany. I need time to think.  _ Real  _ time. Not time worrying about you going off and getting stuck with an arrow somewhere, not fighting, just real time. Stay in here, please. I’ll make sure there are guards outside. Just… Stay safe. Don’t make me worry about you. I have enough to think about as it is.” 

Her heart broke just a little as he walked out the door, and closed it gently behind him, disappearing in a swirl of black fur and velvet. She could hear his low voice as he spoke to the guards, and then his steps as he walked down the hallway. 

Angry at herself, Daenerys flung off her outerwear and tossed them into a corner, heedless. She then stalked over to the windows and threw back the velvet so that she could stare out at the roiling, churning waters. 

She could feel her frustration well up into her eyes, but she bit it back and continued to stare out at the sea. 

There had to be a way to fix this, to make it work, and she would find it. 


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi y'all! Thank you as always for your comments, support, and love for this story! I was thinking a lot about GoT this week with every new outlet on the planet posting theories and I decided, what better time to write about some werewolves! :D

Jon prowled about the castle, the picture of a wolf. With mountains of black fur piled up on his shoulders and a scowl on his lips, everyone in the castle avoided him. 

No one had yet really seen Jon when he was a full wolf, but it was easier and easier to imagine the longer he stayed away from Daenerys. It was clear the separation was taking a toll on him, with his wolf howling inside of his head to go back to her, and strains of her despair coming through their bond. 

He could feel Daenerys’s frustration with  _ everything  _ tethering them together, but he did his best to ignore it, and his wolf, trying to bottle up all these feelings and keep them apart from his own. 

How did mated pairs  _ do  _ this all the time? How could they even think with someone else’s emotions crowding their heads all the time? 

He stalked down one wall, went through a tower, and then stalked down the next wall, his eyes in front of him, glaring at nothing and everything. Tyrion called him the Broody King, and Jon idly supposed that he wasn’t wrong. Broody was how he felt, musing over everything that had happened that week. That month. That year. 

He had died. He had come back. He had found a mate. He had become king, twice! 

And now this. These… feelings. Both his own and Dany’s. 

Distantly, thoughts of hers called back the waves of heat which he had pushed aside and been resolutely ignoring. It burned at the base of his spine, and Jon knew that the longer he was near her, the stronger they would get. 

His time for thinking was running out. 

Last night he had slept in the barracks near Davos, who had teased him and comforted him in turn. It was familiar, reminding him of being back in the North. All night he had batted back the stirrings of heat and longing which he knew Dany had to be feeling too. 

When she had returned, it had been there, but in his fear and anger he had ignored it. But without those fresh and overpowering feelings, he was sinking again into the haze. 

Missandei had been eyeing him warily every time he had paced through the great hall, perhaps smelling the heat on them both and deciding how she was going to deal with them. 

That poor woman dealt with a lot, and Jon admired her for it. She was loyal to daenerys, and she was fierce. Out of everyone in the keep, she was one of the few he trusted. 

Jon yanked open the door to another tower and then stopped, face to face with the object of his thoughts. 

“It’s only been a day, Daenerys.” 

She, gods help him, blushed. 

“I think we should fix this now. I can’t wait any longer.” 

“And how do you intend to do that?” Jon asked, crossing his arms. 

She was silent for a moment, looking out the window and then back at him. 

“Well…” She sighed. “I’ve thought a lot about this.” 

Jon waited, but she didn’t continue right away.

“This is all new for me,” she said. “I was married before, obviously, but with Drogo there was always… Well.” 

She coughed. 

“Things were simpler. There were no dragons, no Iron Throne. Just me, Drogo, and the Dothraki. They live their lives fiercely without all of this game playing. We didn’t fight like this, because we had nothing to fight over. We just survived.” 

Jon could feel his frown deepen and his mood shift. He bit back the snarl he wanted to throw at her and managed to speak somewhat levely, “I am not Drogo.” 

“I know.” 

Jon sighed, and decided the only way forward was to put it all on the table. “Do you wish he had been your mate?” 

“No!” Dany’s eyes widened, and she scrambled to find her words. 

Her determination to fix things stretched between them both like a tether, reeling them closer together. 

“Never! I…” She glanced up at the ceiling. “Drogo was kind to me, and I think he loved me in a way. And I him. But he is dead, and he was not my True Mate. Comparing you two would be like comparing the forest with the sea, it’s not useful, and it does none of us any good. You are who I am meant to be with, regardless of anything or any _ one  _ else. I am with you, I  _ want  _ to be with you. You… Drogo I could have lived with and been happy, but you complete me in a way he never would have been able to, even if he had lived. You… Feel right. You’re perfect I vow I will listen to you and your ideas and thoughts and feelings.” 

She took a deep breath and continued, “I want you to feel like I listen to you. I want you to feel like you’re helping people. I want to hear what you have to say. You’re smart and kind and generous, and you do know these lands more intimately than Tyrion or arys ever could. They’re just looking for advantages or people they can ply for information. But you… you actually care, and I know this.” 

Jon sighed, “Right. So why are we fighting?” 

“Because, I am used to being alone. I don’t know…” A feeling of weakness and helplessness rushed through their bond. “I don’t know how to trust, perhaps. I barely remember what it is like to not constantly be on edge or working towards some kind of plan. Missandei is my friend and I think she is loyal… But believing in her and what I am  _ supposed  _ to have with you is different. I need to give your words equal weight to my own.”

Jon mused over what she had said, breathing deeply and retreating into his cloak further, trying to create a buffer between himself the sweet smell of her. The waves of heat were building in his spine and he was afraid he didn’t have much longer left for clear thinking. 

Dany was obviously feeling the same waves, with her cheeks growing hotter and the air growing sweeter around her. 

Jon inhaled deeply. 

“Say what you need to, quickly.” 

Dany nodded, her eyes beginning to glaze over as heat built in her core. 

“I’m… Trying. It’s been happening since I came back.” 

“Aye.” He agreed. 

Her brows knit together and the echoes of wave after wave of heat came at Jon, doubling every time they came back. The tower around them faded away, the cold wind outside seemed to stop blowing, and the two of them were in the middle of the desert alone, surrounded by hot winds and parched in a way only the desert can make you. 

“Daenerys…” He warned, nostrils flaring as he smelled the heat coming off of her, his eyes struggling to stay human. 

“I know,” she said, panting as she tried to keep her mind focused. “I don’t think I can wait.” 

Sparks flew across their bond, and Jon wasn’t able to buffet anything away anymore. 

The dam broke and the full force of the heat filled him up again, flooding their bond and dancing across their skin. 

Groaning, he stalked across the distance to her, took her head in his hands, and kissed her soundly. His lips were rough on hers, and while the heat began to envelop her, she wasn’t as thirsty anymore. He was filling her up and saving her and pulling her deeper into his body as their kiss intensified. 

“Talk later,” he muttered between kisses, Daenerys gasping in his hands, melting into him. “Bed now.” 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If y'all wanna keep up with me, check me out on twitter! I am also working on getting my pillowfort set up and will give y'all a link to that as soon as I can get it. <3

**Author's Note:**

> Like things and stuff? Wanna see what I am up to? Have a glance at my website [here](http://www.alodiathaliel.com/), [my twitter](https://twitter.com/AlodiaThaliel), or you see some of my new ventures in this [YouTube playlist.](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLfKAWeTYUfL50CVCUpQiP84WK6sAWL85U) I got kind of into writing ASMR roleplays lol. <3


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